NASA’s ESCAPADE mission, focused on exploring the impact of solar wind on Mars’ atmosphere, faced an unexpected delay on the launch pad due to a solar storm affecting conditions on Earth. The mission, acronym for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, was initially set for liftoff aboard a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket on Nov. 12 but was rescheduled for Nov. 13 due to a solar eruption that posed a risk of damaging the spacecraft.
Coronal mass ejections, massive eruptions from the sun releasing charged particles into space at high speeds, were observed heading towards Earth this week. This phenomenon led to a stunning display of auroras in the northern hemisphere on the evening of Nov. 11. While these lights create a captivating spectacle, the electrified solar particles can potentially disrupt spacecraft electronics, prompting the postponement of the ESCAPADE launch until the space storm passed.
On Mars, ESCAPADE aims to investigate the impact of solar eruptions on the Martian atmosphere. The red planet’s atmosphere has significantly thinned over time, transforming it into the cold, arid world we know today. Scientists attribute this atmospheric loss to factors such as dormant volcanic activity and a weakened magnetic field, which allowed solar wind to erode the atmosphere.
The ESCAPADE mission involves two orbiting spacecraft monitoring solar activity’s influence on Mars’ atmosphere to assess the rate of atmospheric loss. This research may have implications for future Mars missions, particularly concerning the exposure of astronauts to increased solar radiation on the planet’s surface. Additionally, recent findings suggest that super powerful solar eruptions observed on other stars could potentially strip planets of their atmospheres, highlighting the fragility of habitable conditions outside our solar system.
These discoveries underscore the delicate balance of life in a universe marked by violent natural phenomena.