NASA has contracted Rocket Lab to develop a spacecraft for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission to investigate how the solar wind blows up Mars’ atmosphere and alters the climate.
In this mission, two spacecraft that combine a Rocket Lab Photon satellite with a Curie propulsion system, a stellar self-sensor STT, a reaction wheel for attitude control, and a deep space navigation system, and blue and gold as aliases, were sent to Mars orbit for the duration of the mission. Various scientific investigations are conducted throughout the year.
Rocket Lab will launch blue and gold rockets provided by NASA in 2024 if approved in the design review in June and the confirmation review in July. ESCAPADE is being implemented as one of three missions in NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program to lower the cost of interplanetary science research and make it more convenient to use. NASA has so far selected companies with high recognition and excellent financing ability, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, but this mission may serve as an opportunity to broaden the door. To do this, Rocket Lab will need to build trust by building track records. Related information can be found here.