Solar Storm Forces Second Delay for Blue Origin's New Glenn Launch of NASA's ESCAPADE Mission

Blue Origin has again postponed the launch of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket, which is scheduled to carry NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft toward Mars. The launch, initially set for November 9, 2025, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, was first delayed by terrestrial weather, including thunderstorms and thick cumulus clouds. A subsequent attempt, rescheduled for November 13, 2025, was called off due to a critical risk posed by intense solar activity.

The final postponement was mandated by a G4 geomagnetic storm, classified as severe, which presented unacceptable risks to the sensitive electronics aboard the scientific payload. NASA prioritized mission assurance over the tight launch window, as the heightened space weather environment could negatively affect spacecraft systems and communications. This event underscores the persistent challenges commercial space providers like Blue Origin face when launching complex scientific instruments, particularly during periods of peak solar activity.

The G4 storm reportedly originated from a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by sunspot group AR4274, noted as one of the most energetic observed in the current solar cycle. The ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission, managed by NASA and operated by the University of California, Berkeley, involves a dual-satellite endeavor consisting of the 'Blue' and 'Gold' probes. These twin orbiters, built by Rocket Lab on the Photon platform, are designed to map the magnetic fields, upper atmosphere, and ionosphere of Mars in three dimensions, offering the first stereo perspective of the Red Planet's near-space environment.

The primary scientific objective is to understand how the solar wind has stripped away Mars' atmosphere over the last four billion years, reducing it to less than 1% of Earth's density. This research provides continuity with NASA's MAVEN mission and yields vital data for forecasting solar storm radiation risks for future human exploration. This flight, designated NG-2, is only the second orbital launch for the 321-foot-tall New Glenn rocket, named for John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.

The inaugural flight occurred on January 16, 2025, from Launch Complex 36, successfully achieving orbit but failing to land the first stage booster on the recovery vessel, Landing Platform Vessel 1. Blue Origin is working to certify the vehicle for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, a goal that requires successful demonstration flights, including booster recovery. The mission also carries a secondary payload: a telemetry communications experiment for ViaSat under NASA's Communications Services Project. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is now reassessing launch opportunities with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while the ESCAPADE mission itself represents a low-cost approach, budgeted under $80 million, pioneering a trajectory that could benefit future crewed missions.