Two Rocket Lab-made spacecraft are almost ready to head to Mars. Their mission will be to study the interaction between solar winds and the Martian atmosphere. The mission is set to launch no earlier than October on the first launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. Getting to Mars has historically been very expensive - Rocket Lab's system is two orders of magnitude cheaper than everything else. This article details how Rocket Lab designed the spacecraft.
Friday, August 16, 2024Two NASA spacecraft built by Rocket Lab are beginning preparations for launch on Blue Origin's first New Glenn rocket. The two science probes will launch between late September and mid-October. They will take advantage of a planetary alignment between Earth and Mars that only happens once every 26 months to travel to Mars to help scientists learn more about the processes that drive Martian climate change. Assuming the launch is successful, the twin spacecraft will be expected to arrive in orbit around Mars in early September 2025. The next launch window is in late 2026.