Blue Origin New Glenn – EscaPADE (SIMPLEx-4 / Photon Blue & Gold

Mission Overview

Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket will launch EscaPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), a dual-spacecraft mission designed to study the atmospheric escape processes at Mars.

Originally slated to fly on NASA’s Psyche mission, the twin spacecraft were reassigned and will now ride aboard New Glenn as part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program.

The mission will investigate:

• How Mars’ hybrid magnetosphere guides ion flows

• The transport of energy and momentum from the solar wind

• The processes controlling atmospheric escape from Mars

Each spacecraft carries three scientific instruments:

• EMAG – Magnetometer measuring magnetic fields up to 1000 nT

• EESA – Electrostatic analyzer measuring ions & electrons across wide energy ranges

• ELP – Langmuir probe monitoring plasma density and solar EUV flux

Together, these instruments will deepen our understanding of how Mars lost much of its atmosphere—and how planetary atmospheres evolve across the solar system.

Viewing Tips

• Where to Watch: Playalinda Beach, Jetty Park, Cocoa Beach Pier, and local riverfront parks provide some of the best launch views.

• Best Timing: Arrive early; traffic is heavy before major launches. Sunrise lighting conditions make this launch especially photogenic.

• Livestream: Can’t attend in person? Watch online at blueorigin.com.

Why It Matters

EscaPADE will be the first interplanetary mission launched by Blue Origin’s New Glenn—a historic step for U.S. commercial spaceflight. This mission not only advances Mars science but also showcases a new era of heavy-lift rockets flying from Florida’s Space Coast.

👉 Add this to your Space Coast bucket list—witness history as Blue Origin begins interplanetary launches from Cape Canaveral!