# ESCAPADE on its way to Mars after Earth flybys

Source: [SpaceNews](https://spacenews.com/escapade-on-its-way-to-mars-after-earth-flybys/) · 2026-11-10 · Space
Page: https://themorning.science/story/escapade-on-its-way-to-mars-after-earth-flybys-10af5c1a4257cbb0
Kind: other · Impact: low

## In brief

- Two NASA ESCAPADE smallsats have completed flybys of Earth and are headed toward Mars.
- The flybys came nearly a year after launch, and Space.com describes the double gravity assist as unprecedented.
- The spacecraft launched in November 2025 on the second-ever flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

## Why it matters

The maneuver shows that a pair of small spacecraft can use a double Earth gravity assist to reach Mars, a technique that could inform future low-cost interplanetary missions.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Twin ESCAPADE spacecraft reported to have completed Earth flybys and to be on course for Mars

## Coverage

- [NASA's twin ESCAPADE Mars probes slingshot around Earth in unprecedented double 'gravity assist'](https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-escapade-twin-mars-probes-execute-a-1st-of-its-kind-gravity-slingshot-around-earth) — Latest from Space.com, 2026-11-10
- [ESCAPADE on its way to Mars after Earth flybys](https://spacenews.com/escapade-on-its-way-to-mars-after-earth-flybys/) — SpaceNews, 2026-11-10

Tags: mars, nasa, escapade, gravity-assist, smallsats, space-missions

---

Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science