Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) announced that it delivered two Explorer-class spacecraft to Kennedy Space Flight Center for NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers mission, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. Upon arrival at Kennedy Space Center, Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) engineers will conduct post-transport inspections and functional tests in the cleanroom before propellant loading and vehicle integration.
The NASA Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers mission is a dual-spacecraft project set to study Mars’ magnetosphere and atmospheric escape by orbiting the planet and collecting real-time plasma and magnetic field data.
Last year, Rocket Lab (RKLB) completed the design, build, integration, and testing of the twin spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, in just three and a half years, an accelerated timeline for a Mars mission. The company said the achievement was made possible by Rocket Lab’s (RKLB) mature spacecraft manufacturing experience and its vertically integrated supply chain, which brings production of critical components like solar arrays, star trackers, propellant tanks, reaction wheels, radios, flight software, and more, in-house. The Escapade mission is based on Rocket Lab’s (RKLB) Explorer spacecraft platform.
During a 22-month cruise to Mars, the Blue and Gold spacecraft will travel together before entering complementary elliptical orbits around the planet to conduct their science campaigns. The spacecraft will simultaneously capture data from two regions of Mars’ magnetosphere.
“Escapade is a perfect example of why Rocket Lab exists – to make ambitious space science faster and more affordable. Delivering two interplanetary spacecraft on schedule and within budget for a Mars mission is no small feat, and it speaks to the determination and agility of our team,” highlighted Rocket Lab (RKLB) CEO Peter Beck. “This won’t be Rocket Lab’s last time at Mars; with concepts like the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter on the horizon, we’re laying the groundwork for more complex, capable, and essential missions that will support future human exploration,” he added.
Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB) are up 20% over the last six weeks.