The groundbreaking ESCAPADE mission, the first multi-spacecraft science endeavor targeting Mars, has now embarked on its celestial voyage. Accompanying the twin spacecraft are symbols of New Zealand, marking the first ‘kiwis’ to make the journey to the red planet.
Departing Earth on Thursday, NASA’s ESCAPADE mission commenced its 22-month long expedition bound for Mars, transported by a New Glenn rocket. Upon arrival, the identical satellites, named 'Blue' and 'Gold', will orbit Mars. Their mission is to examine real-time interactions of space weather with Mars’ unique magnetosphere and explore how these interactions contributed to the loss of its once-thick atmosphere.
Conducted by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, these spacecraft represent a milestone for Rocket Lab. This California-based space company, originally from New Zealand, is responsible for the design, construction, and testing of these Mars-bound vehicles.
The inclusion of kiwis on the mission is a tribute to Rocket Lab’s roots. “Rocket Lab has a tradition of hiding kiwis in many areas of its design,” explains Lindsay McLaurin, senior communications manager for space systems at Rocket Lab. The tradition reflects the company's origins and offers a playful challenge to designers and builders.
The kiwi images appear as part of plaques affixed to the solar panels of both 'Blue' and 'Gold'. These panels also carry Rocket Lab’s logo, their inspiring motto 'Non Sufficit Hic Orbis' (meaning 'This World Is Not Enough'), alongside an icon of an American bald eagle. These additions honor both the New Zealand and American components of the project.
The kiwis, native to New Zealand, serve as a unique emblem of the nation’s contribution to space exploration, adding another layer of cultural intrigue to this exciting interplanetary mission.