Twin Satellites Built by Rocket Lab for NASA's ESCAPADE Mission Complete Successful Trans-Mars Injection Burns, Setting Course for the Red Planet

Both spacecraft completed one of the mission's two largest propulsive maneuvers; Mars orbit insertion is scheduled for September 2027.

Rhea-AI Summary

Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) announced that its twin ESCAPADE spacecraft completed departure burns, putting them on course for Mars in 2027.

Built for NASA and UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, Blue and Gold performed their trans-Mars injection burns on November 7 and 9, respectively, during an Earth gravity assist. Each autonomous burn lasted approximately 10 minutes. Operators also completed commissioning during the nearly yearlong loiter phase. Additional correction maneuvers will refine the spacecrafts' paths. Mars orbit insertion is scheduled for September 2027, with transition to their first science formation beginning in 2028. The mission will study how solar wind strips ions from Mars' upper atmosphere.

Positive

• Minor pointBlue and Gold completed trans-Mars injection burns on November 7 and 9, setting course for Mars.
• Minor pointCommissioning completed during the nearly yearlong loiter phase, alongside multiple trajectory correction maneuvers.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Mars orbit insertion is scheduled for September 2027, followed by transition to the first science formation in 2028.

Negative

• None.

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Details

Market move: RKLB -7.96% vs previous close. trans-Mars injection milestone

$54.03 – $55.75 Day Range

$34.64B Mkt Cap at Last Price

On Nov 10, the day this news came out, the latest delayed price for RKLB is 7.96% below the previous close. Our momentum scanner has recorded 15 alerts for this stock so far that day. The latest delayed price is $54.17. Relative volume is very high at 3.2x what this stock usually trades by this time of day.

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Key Figures

Burn accuracy: Much greater than 99% Final attitude error: Less than 1 degree Mars orbit insertion: September 2027

Burn accuracy

Much greater than 99%

Overall accuracy of the TMI burns

Final attitude error

Less than 1 degree

TMI burns

Mars orbit insertion

September 2027

Scheduled mission milestone

Key Terms

magnetosphere, trajectory correction maneuvers, interplanetary correction maneuvers, mars orbit insertion

4 terms

magnetosphere technical

"will study Mars' magnetosphere"

A magnetosphere is the region of space around a planet dominated by its magnetic field, acting like an invisible shield that deflects charged particles from the sun. For investors, it matters because changes or disturbances in that shield can disrupt satellites, GPS, radio communications and power grids, creating operational risk for technology, energy and insurance sectors much like a sudden storm can damage infrastructure on Earth.

trajectory correction maneuvers technical

"performed multiple trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs)"

Small, planned adjustments to a spacecraft’s path made after launch to keep it on the intended route or target. Like steering a car to stay in the lane, these maneuvers matter to investors because they affect mission success, fuel use, schedule and insurance exposure—any of which can change costs, revenue timing and the perceived reliability of a space or satellite business.

interplanetary correction maneuvers technical

"Additional interplanetary correction maneuvers (ICMs) during cruise"

Engine burns or other controlled actions a spacecraft makes after leaving Earth to change or fine-tune its path between planets; these maneuvers correct launch and navigation errors, adjust timing or speed for encounter or insertion at the destination, and conserve fuel by using small, precisely timed impulses or gravity assists. They are carried out with onboard thrusters, main engines, or planned flybys, and their timing and size are constrained because small changes early in the flight can produce large differences in where and when the spacecraft arrives.

mars orbit insertion technical

"scheduled to perform Mars orbit insertion"

A maneuver that places a spacecraft onto a stable path around Mars by changing its speed and trajectory so Mars' gravity captures it. Typically performed as a deliberate rocket (retrograde) burn or aerodynamic braking that reduces the spacecraft’s velocity relative to Mars at arrival; the size and timing of that burn determine the shape and altitude of the resulting orbit. If the planned deceleration does not occur, the spacecraft will continue past Mars on a flyby or risk entering the atmosphere uncontrolled.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Twin spacecraft Blue and Gold successfully execute critical burns, putting them on track for Mars arrival in 2027

LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced that the two spacecraft it designed and built for NASA and the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory have completed their trans-Mars injection (TMI) burns. The twin spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, will study Mars' magnetosphere for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission.

Once at Mars, Blue and Gold will work in tandem to measure how the solar wind strips ions from the planet's upper atmosphere. The data will help scientists reconstruct Mars' atmospheric escape history, characterize its space weather environment, and inform planning for future human exploration.

Blue and Gold each performed a TMI burn during a powered Earth gravity assist. The burns took place two days apart on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, with each spacecraft swinging past Earth and firing a single, continuous burn for approximately 10 minutes. The spacecraft executed the maneuvers autonomously, with Rocket Lab and UC Berkeley operators overseeing both burns.

Rather than relying on a launch vehicle's upper stage to send them toward Mars, Blue and Gold performed their own departure burns, a capability that required a powerful onboard propulsion system and precise trajectory planning. The TMI is one of the mission's two largest propulsive maneuvers, alongside Mars orbit insertion, and it could not be split into smaller segments. Each spacecraft had to sustain a precisely controlled engine firing.

Completing that burn successfully on both Blue and Gold marks one of the most demanding tests of the Explorer-class platform, and a key milestone on the path to Mars orbit insertion. The burns were executed with much greater than 99% overall accuracy with a final attitude error of less than 1 degree.

“A phenomenal amount of work goes into a successful trans-Mars injection burn, from considered spacecraft design and precision trajectory planning to meticulous on-orbit operations. Performing these TMI maneuvers flawlessly is a testament to the relentless execution of the Rocket Lab team and the ongoing close collaboration of our mission partners at UC Berkeley and NASA. Next stop, Mars,” said Sir Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.

ESCAPADE launched on Nov. 13, 2025, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Because Earth and Mars were not aligned for a direct transfer, Blue and Gold first entered a loiter orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2 (L2). The orbit was timed to bring them back to Earth for the gravity assist that has now sent them toward Mars.

During the nearly yearlong loiter phase, Rocket Lab and UC Berkeley operators completed commissioning, and each vehicle performed multiple trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs) using its main engine. These burns kept the spacecraft on their path through Earth's magnetotail, giving the science team an early opportunity to operate its instruments.

Additional interplanetary correction maneuvers (ICMs) during cruise will refine each spacecraft's path toward Mars. Blue and Gold are scheduled to perform Mars orbit insertion, the mission's other major burn, in September 2027 and will begin transitioning to their first science formation in 2028.

ESCAPADE is the latest in a growing line of deep-space missions supported by Rocket Lab, including NASA's CAPSTONE lunar mission. It also extends the Company's Mars heritage, which includes Perseverance's robotic arm and Mastcam-Z opto-mechanics and the solar power behind Ingenuity, InSight, and the Mars 2020 cruise stage.

The Company delivered both ESCAPADE spacecraft three and a half years after the contract award. That pace was made possible by building critical hardware and software in-house, from solar arrays, propellant tanks, and reaction wheels to star trackers, radios, avionics, and flight software, an approach that reduces cost and schedule risk for customers.

Rocket Lab Media 
Matt McKinney
media@rocketlabusa.com 

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is a leading space company that provides launch services, spacecraft, payloads and satellite components serving commercial, government, and national security markets. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is the world’s most frequently launched orbital small rocket; its HASTE rocket provides hypersonic test launch capability for the U.S. government and allied nations; and its Neutron launch vehicle in development will unlock medium launch for constellation deployment, national security and exploration missions. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft and satellite components have enabled more than 1,700 missions spanning commercial, defense and national security missions including GPS, constellations, and exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Rocket Lab is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq stock exchange (RKLB). Learn more at www.rocketlabcorp.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy, and statements regarding our satellite capabilities, manufacturing scale, and constellation support are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45c5d82c-94d4-4583-9c99-17a7b5a1aaf1

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What milestone did Rocket Lab's ESCAPADE spacecraft complete?

Blue and Gold successfully completed their trans-Mars injection burns, sending them toward Mars. The spacecraft performed the burns autonomously during an Earth gravity assist on November 7 and 9, with Rocket Lab and UC Berkeley operators overseeing the maneuvers.

When will Rocket Lab's ESCAPADE spacecraft enter Mars orbit?

Blue and Gold are scheduled to perform Mars orbit insertion in September 2027. They will begin transitioning to their first science formation in 2028 to study how solar wind strips ions from Mars' upper atmosphere.