Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Illustration of the EscaPADE spacecraft in orbit around Mars.
Credits: Rocket Lab USA/UC Berkeley

NASA’s twin Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) will perform a “powered” flyby of Earth, combining Earth’s gravity with an engine burn, to slingshot itself toward Mars.

The first spacecraft will conduct its flyby and engine burn around 5 a.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The second will do so two days later, around 6 a.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 9.

Earth’s gravity will speed the twins up and redirect them toward Mars.

The long and winding road to the Red Planet by the twin ESCAPDE spacecraft.
Image credit: Advanced Space

At the spacecraft’s closest approach to Earth, it also will perform a “trans-Mars injection burn,” firing its engine for about 9 minutes to give itself an extra boost toward the Red Planet.

After completing successful powered flybys, the two spacecraft will then have a 10-month cruise to Mars, arriving at the Red Planet on Sept. 7 and Sept. 9, 2027, respectively.

Go to my earlier story — “Flying ESCAPADE to Mars: Live Long and Loiter” — at:

https://www.leonarddavid.com/flying-escapade-to-mars-live-long-and-loiter/