By 
August 23rd, 2021
Credit: NASA
Rocket Lab announced today it will begin final mission design and start manufacturing two interplanetary Photon spacecraft for a low-cost NASA science mission to Mars.
The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission will orbit two Rocket Lab-built Photon spacecraft around Mars to understand the structure, composition, variability, and dynamics of Mars’ unique hybrid magnetosphere. The mission will also support crewed exploration programs like Artemis through improved solar storm prediction.
The ESCAPADE mission is led by the University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory.
Innovative mission
“ESCAPADE is an innovative mission that demonstrates that advanced interplanetary science is now within reach for a fraction of traditional costs, and we’re proud to make it possible with Photon,” said Rocket Lab’s founder and CEO, Peter Beck.
To be launched to Mars in 2024, and following deployment from a NASA-provided commercial launch vehicle, the pair of Photons will conduct an 11-month interplanetary cruise before inserting themselves into elliptical orbits around Mars to begin the science phase.
Posted in Space News
