Rocket Lab, a company known for its Electron rocket, is set to launch a mission called ESCAPADE to study the interaction between solar winds and the Martian atmosphere. While Rocket Lab is primarily known for its rockets, the majority of its revenue comes from building and selling spacecraft and spacecraft components. ESCAPADE aims to demonstrate Rocket Lab’s ability to produce high-performance spacecraft capable of deep space missions.
Historically, missions to Mars have been both time-consuming and expensive. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN missions each cost over half a billion dollars. In response, NASA established the SIMPLEx program, which funds small spacecraft missions into deep space with a goal of spending only a fraction of the cost of previous missions. ESCAPADE is one of three missions selected under this program.
Rocket Lab was contracted by the principal investigator for the ESCAPADE mission to build the satellite buses for the spacecraft. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, are based on their Explorer platform, known for its high delta-v capabilities. The spacecraft are approximately 70% fuel by mass, allowing them to achieve a high change in velocity.
One of the challenges Rocket Lab faced was not knowing the launch provider until late in the design process. This affected the design decisions for the spacecraft, as the launch vehicle was not a driving constraint. Instead, the maximum amount of mass the spacecraft could handle during the Mars orbital insertion maneuver became the primary design consideration.
To meet these constraints, Rocket Lab engineers innovated the spacecraft’s design. The spacecraft are “tank sandwiches,” with two decks connected by struts and fuel tanks in the middle. This design reduced the mass of the primary structure, resulting in a cascade of effects such as smaller solar panels and fewer heaters.
After launch, the spacecraft will spend 11 months traveling to Mars before performing the critical MOI burn to enter Martian orbit. However, communication during this burn will be impossible due to the sun’s position. Rocket Lab engineers will have to wait another three months before sending a command to circularize the spacecraft’s orbit. The spacecraft will then collect and transmit scientific data back to Earth for around 11 months.
The exact launch window for the ESCAPADE mission has not been disclosed, but it is currently the peak efficiency for the spacecraft’s travel. If the launch window is missed, there will be a 26-month wait until the spacecraft can begin its mission.