NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission has officially completed its powered Earth flyby maneuver and is now cruising directly toward Mars. Operated by NASA’s Heliophysics Division, the twin spacecraft are designed to study how the solar wind strips away the Martian atmosphere and interacts with the planet’s unique hybrid magnetosphere. Once in orbit around the Red Planet, the dual-probe formation will capture real-time 3D measurements of space weather, providing vital data for protecting future human explorers on Mars.
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