NASA’s ESCAPADE Spacecraft Complete NASA’s First Powered Earth Flybys, En Route to Mars
Twin probes launched in 2025 used a loiter orbit around Lagrange point 2 before returning to Earth for a gravity slingshot.
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.