[ad_1]
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — On Sunday afternoon, Blue Origin will be launching its New Glenn rocket for the second time. This time, it will send up NASA’s ESCAPADE mission that will see two satellites head to Mars.
Called the NG-2 mission, the New Glenn will take off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Blue Origin stated.
The launch time is no earlier than 2:45 p.m. ET, stated the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 65% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the concerns being the cumulus cloud and surface electric fields rules.
If there is a scrub, the next attempt will be Monday, Nov. 10, from 2:40 p.m. ET to 4:08 p.m. ET, stated Blue Origin.
After the stage separation, the reusable first-stage booster called Never Tell Me The Odds will attempt to land on Blue Origin’s cargo ship Jacklyn.
New Glenn’s maiden flight
The first time the New Glenn launched was January of this year, when it sent up Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder, which tested and collected data on its flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities.
While it was a successful takeoff, the first-stage booster called So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance failed to stick the landing on Jacklyn.
Understanding the mission
The New Glenn will be sending up two payloads: NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission, which will study Mars’ magnetosphere and how solar winds impact the Red Planet.
The mission’s principal investigator Dr. Rob Lillis shared a bit more about ESCAPADE and how it will help humans once they get to Mars.
He said that two satellites — called Blue and Gold in honor of the University of California, Berkeley’s colors — will study Mars’ magnetosphere and space weather.
“The two spacecraft … will be characterizing the magnetic and space weather (i.e. plasma, radiation) environment on their way to Mars, then after they achieve Mars orbit, they’ll be measuring this environment in the solar wind and within Mars’ upper atmosphere, including rates of atmospheric escape,” Lillis explained to Spectrum News.
The second payload is from global communications company ViaSat. Called the Viasat HaloNet Technology Demonstrator, the satellite will help with better communications between Earth and space.
“Whether supporting Earth observation, scientific payloads, defense missions, or launch operations, HaloNet helps close the space-to-ground connectivity gap through a modular set of capabilities designed for resilience, reach, and responsiveness,” stated Viasat.
[ad_2]
Anthony Leone
Source link