NASA schedules twin ESCAPADE Earth flybys for November 7 and 9
NASA plans powered Earth flybys for its two ESCAPADE spacecraft on November 7 and 9 to send them toward Mars.
What the record says
NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft are scheduled to use Earth’s gravity and engine burns to head toward Mars, the agency announced November 2. The first flyby is planned around 5 a.m. EST on November 7 and the second around 6 a.m. EST on November 9. Each spacecraft is to fire its engine for about nine minutes near its closest approach to Earth. The mission launched in November 2025 and followed a looping route before returning near Earth. NASA plans Mars arrivals on September 7 and 9, 2027. The spacecraft will study how the solar wind interacts with Mars and contributes to atmospheric loss. NASA says some ground observers may see the faint spacecraft, likely with telescopes. The western United States offers viewing opportunities before the flybys.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Check NASA’s ESCAPADE blog for maneuver updates and use its linked viewing resources for location-specific information.
Limits and what is not established
These are planned maneuvers and arrival dates. The source does not establish that either flyby has occurred or succeeded.
Sources checked November 4, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.