Today, the heavy-lift rocket Blue Origin New Glenn was supposed to make its second flight-and straight into a Mars mission. However, it won’t happen: the NG-2 mission has been put on pause due to increased solar activity.
“NG-2 update: New Glenn is ready for launch. However, due to high solar activity and its potential impact on the ESCAPADE spacecraft, NASA is postponing the launch until space weather conditions improve. We are currently evaluating the possibilities for determining the next launch window based on forecasted space weather and flight range availability,” Blue Origin wrote on its social network page, X.
Let us recall that today was supposed to be the second attempt to launch the second mission-the first was scheduled for November 9 but did not take place due to weather conditions. Now the launch is postponed not just for a few days, as the new date is not mentioned at all. Remember, under the New Glenn fairing are two interplanetary ESCAPADE spacecraft, which will study Mars’ magnetosphere and the planet’s interaction with the solar wind.
It is crucial to note that solar activity can significantly influence space missions. When the Sun releases solar flares or coronal mass ejections, these can increase radiation levels in space, affecting satellite communications, damage spacecraft systems or disrupt the sensitive electronics of space missions. Thus, monitoring solar weather has become an integral part of planning space missions to ensure their success and safety.
Meanwhile, the ESCAPADE mission continues to hold great potential in enhancing our understanding of Martian weather and atmospheric conditions. These two spacecraft are designed to operate in tandem to gather invaluable data on the solar wind’s effect on Mars, offering insights that may contribute to future manned missions to the Red Planet.
