NASA's two ESCAPADE spacecraft have successfully completed powered Earth flybys, using the planet's gravity combined with engine burns to propel themselves toward Mars. The twin probes are now on course to reach the Red Planet in September 2027.
The first spacecraft made its closest approach at about 5 a.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2026, firing its engine for approximately nine minutes while about 1,000 miles above Earth. The second followed at about 6 a.m. EST on Nov. 9, performing the same maneuver at about 650 miles above the surface.
This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to send a spacecraft toward Mars, according to the agency. The ESCAPADE mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Nov. 13, 2025, when Earth and Mars were on opposite sides of the Sun. Instead of heading directly to Mars, both spacecraft entered a loiter orbit around Earth-Sun Lagrange point 2, about a million miles from Earth, and returned to Earth once the planets were favorably aligned.
“This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars, and we've now executed this maneuver twice, flawlessly, in just two days,” said Asal Naseri, acting associate flight director for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
Lead mission designer Jeff Parker of Advanced Space said the method provides flexibility to launch almost anytime rather than waiting every two years to launch directly when the planets are aligned.
Once in orbit around Mars, the two spacecraft will fly in formation to study how the solar wind interacts with the Martian environment and drives atmospheric loss. “By better understanding how the solar wind affects the Martian environment, ESCAPADE's findings could help us plan and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet,” said Michele Cash, ESCAPADE program scientist.
The mission is part of NASA's Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, which supports innovative solar system exploration with smaller budgets. The University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory leads the mission, with key partners including Rocket Lab, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and Blue Origin.
Along the way, the spacecraft will perform trajectory correction maneuvers to refine their path. Mars orbit insertion is planned for Sept. 7 and Sept. 9, 2027. Science operations are expected to begin in June 2028, with the two spacecraft initially following one another in the same orbit, then shifting to different orbits to make coordinated observations.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The powered Earth flyby is a first for a NASA Mars mission, demonstrating a flexible launch strategy that could reduce waiting times for planetary alignment.
- ESCAPADE will study how the solar wind strips Mars' atmosphere, helping scientists understand climate change on Mars and prepare for future human exploration.
- As a SIMPLEx mission, it shows low-cost, innovative approaches to planetary science, potentially paving the way for more frequent small missions.
Background
Launched in November 2025, the ESCAPADE mission (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) consists of two spacecraft built by the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory. Instead of heading directly to Mars, they entered a loiter orbit around Earth-Sun Lagrange point 2 and returned to Earth in November 2026 for a gravity assist. The mission is managed by NASA's Heliophysics Division as part of the SIMPLEx program. Its goal is to make coordinated measurements of the Martian environment and solar wind interaction.
What to Watch
- Upcoming trajectory correction maneuvers over the next 10 months.
- Mars orbit insertion burns scheduled for September 7 and 9, 2027.
- Beginning of science operations in June 2028, when both spacecraft begin coordinated observations.
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12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedNASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft completed the agency’s first powered Earth flybys toward Mars.NASA: ““This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars, and we’ve now executed this maneuver twice, flawlessly, in just two days,” said Asal Naseri”
- SupportedThe twin probes launched in 2025, used a loiter orbit around Lagrange point 2, then returned to Earth for a gravity slingshot.NASA: “After launch in November 2025, the two ESCAPADE spacecraft looped around the Earth-Sun Lagrange point 2 (L2), in an “Earth-proximity” or “loiter” orbit that allowed the spacecraft to return to Earth in November 2026 and use our planet’s gravity to slingshot themselves to Mars.”
- SupportedThe spacecraft completed powered Earth flybys using Earth’s gravity and engine burns to propel themselves toward Mars.NASA: “NASA’s two ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft have each successfully completed a powered Earth flyby, using Earth’s gravity in combination with a sustained engine burn to slingshot themselves toward Mars.”
- SupportedThe spacecraft are on course to reach Mars in September 2027.NASA: “With these successful maneuvers complete, the twin spacecraft are on target to reach the Red Planet in September 2027.”
- SupportedThe first spacecraft’s closest approach and engine burn took place at about 5 a.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2026, at about 1,000 miles above Earth, with a burn lasting approximately nine minutes.NASA: “The first ESCAPADE spacecraft completed its close approach to Earth and its approximately 9-minute trans-Mars injection burn — the engine firing that commits the spacecraft to its path to Mars — at 5 a.m. EST on Nov. 7, when it was about 1,000 miles above the planet’s surface.”
- SupportedThe second spacecraft’s closest approach and engine burn took place at about 6 a.m. EST on Nov. 9, 2026, at about 650 miles above Earth.NASA: “The second spacecraft followed suit two days later, completing its close approach and engine burn at 6 a.m. EST on Nov. 9, when it was about 650 miles above the planet’s surface.”
- SupportedAsal Naseri said this was NASA’s first powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars and that the maneuver had been executed twice in two days.NASA: ““This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars, and we’ve now executed this maneuver twice, flawlessly, in just two days,” said Asal Naseri”
- SupportedESCAPADE launched from Cape Canaveral on Nov. 13, 2025, when Earth and Mars were on opposite sides of the Sun.NASA: “The two ESCAPADE spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Nov. 13, 2025, when Earth and Mars were on opposite sides of the Sun.”
- SupportedJeff Parker of Advanced Space said the method offers flexibility to launch almost anytime instead of waiting every two years for a direct launch when the planets align.NASA: ““This method provides the flexibility to launch almost anytime and then use Earth’s gravity to get a boost to Mars, rather than waiting every two years to launch there directly when the planets are aligned.””
- SupportedIn Mars orbit, the spacecraft will fly in formation to study how the solar wind interacts with the Martian environment and drives atmospheric loss.NASA: “Once in orbit around Mars, the two spacecraft will fly in formation to study how a million-mile-per-hour stream of material flowing from the Sun, known as the solar wind, interacts with the Martian environment and how that drives atmospheric loss at Mars.”
- SupportedMichele Cash said ESCAPADE’s findings could help plan and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.NASA: ““By better understanding how the solar wind affects the Martian environment, ESCAPADE’s findings could help us plan and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet,” said Michele Cash, ESCAPADE program scientist at NASA Headquarters.”
- SupportedESCAPADE science operations are expected to begin in June 2028.NASA: “Science operations are expected to begin in June 2028.”
