NASA is preparing the next scientific mission to Mars, with launch scheduled for October.

NASA plans to launch its next science mission to Mars no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 13, using Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Mission called Escapade (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) It will have two spacecraft that will work in a coordinated manner. The main goal of this mission is to study how the solar wind – a constant stream of particles emitted by the Sun – interacts with Mars’ magnetic environment and how this interaction contributes to the loss of the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

Blue Origin, based in Kent, Washington, was selected to provide launch services. Escapade under NASA’s VADR (Venture Acquisition Dedicated and Rideshare) contract. This “entrepreneurial-grade” approach allows the agency to lower the cost of launching high-risk science missions by reducing NASA oversight and giving commercial companies more flexibility in managing launch services.

With this mission, NASA continues to deepen its understanding of atmospheric processes on Marswhich will provide key information for future exploration of the neighboring planet.