ESCAPADE

Given all the technical challenges inherent to interplanetary science, Advanced Space created a robust mission design that maximizes the chance for a successful interplanetary cruise, Mars orbit insertion, and science orbit. They also worked with the rest of the mission team to build navigation capabilities to avoid any impact with Mars or its moons, satisfying NASA’s policies for planetary protection. ESCAPADE will help establish a new pathway for high-capability scientific missions at a fraction of the cost of previous Mars orbiters.

The Advanced Space team has trailblazed a new approach for launching missions to Mars, as a step in reducing cost and risk for NASA’s ESCAPADE mission. All historical Mars missions have launched during a short time window when the planets are aligned. The Advanced Space team has constructed a brand-new approach to relax this requirement: ESCAPADE will launch into a “loiter” orbit that loops around the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange Point, waiting there until the planets are aligned. When the time comes that the planets are in perfect alignment, the two ESCAPADE spacecraft swing by Earth and head out on their journey to Mars. ESCAPADE is proving out this approach for future Mars missions – and for any interplanetary mission – as humanity continues its exploration, development, and settlement of the Solar System.