{"686436":{"#nid":"686436","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NASA Goes On an ESCAPADE \u2013 Twin Small, Low-Cost Orbiters Will Examine Mars\u2019\u00a0Atmosphere","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/escapade\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE\u003C\/a\u003E, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash: one where small, low-cost spacecraft enable researchers to learn rapidly, iterate, and advance technology and science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ESCAPADE \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.space.com\/space-exploration\/launches-spacecraft\/blue-origin-new-glenn-escapade-mars-launch-webcast\u0022\u003Emission launched\u003C\/a\u003E on Nov. 13, 2025 on a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/bezos-blue-origin-has-successfully-launched-its-new-glenn-rocket-to-orbit-a-feat-15-years-in-the-making-247424\u0022\u003EBlue Origin New Glenn rocket\u003C\/a\u003E, sending two small orbiters to Mars to study its atmosphere. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=N38VZzsAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EAs aerospace engineers\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=EFUhzfYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ewe\u2019re excited\u003C\/a\u003E about this mission because not only will it do great science while advancing the deep space capabilities of small spacecraft, but it also will travel to the red planet on an innovative new trajectory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ESCAPADE mission is actually \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/escapade.ssl.berkeley.edu\/about\/\u0022\u003Etwo spacecraft instead of one\u003C\/a\u003E. Two identical spacecraft will take simultaneous measurements, resulting in better science. These spacecraft are smaller than those used in the past, each \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/space-missions\/escapade\u0022\u003Eabout the size of a copy machine\u003C\/a\u003E, partly enabled by an ongoing miniaturization trend in the space industry. Doing more with less is very important for space exploration, because it typically takes most of the mass of a spacecraft simply to transport it where you want it to go.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A patch with a drawing of two spacecraft, one behind the other, on a red background and the ESCAPADE mission title.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe ESCAPADE mission logo shows the twin orbiters.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ESCAPADE#\/media\/File:EscaPADE_logo.png\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ETRAX International\/Kristen Perrin\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving two spacecraft also acts as an insurance policy in case one of them doesn\u2019t work as planned. Even if one completely fails, researchers can still do science with a single working spacecraft. This redundancy enables each spacecraft to be built more affordably than in the past, because the copies allow for more acceptance of risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStudying Mars\u2019 History\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELong before the ESCAPADE twin spacecraft Blue and Gold were ready to go to space \u2013 billions of years ago, to be more precise \u2013 Mars \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ancient-mars-may-have-had-a-carbon-cycle-a-new-study-suggests-the-red-planet-may-have-once-been-warmer-wetter-and-more-favorable-for-life-255207\u0022\u003Ehad a much thicker atmosphere\u003C\/a\u003E than it does now. This atmosphere would have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/our-mostly-dry-planetary-neighbors-once-had-lots-of-water-what-does-that-imply-for-us-43817\u0022\u003Eenabled liquids to flow\u003C\/a\u003E on its surface, creating the channels and gullies that scientists can still observe today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut where did the bulk of this atmosphere go? Its loss turned Mars into the cold and dry world it is today, with a surface air pressure \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/marsed.asu.edu\/mep\/atmosphere\u0022\u003Eless than 1% of Earth\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMars also once \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/articles\/mars-has-the-remnants-of-a-lopsided-magnetic-field\u0022\u003Ehad a magnetic field\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/earths-magnetic-field-protects-life-on-earth-from-radiation-but-it-can-move-and-the-magnetic-poles-can-even-flip-216231\u0022\u003Elike Earth\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E, that helped to shield its atmosphere. That atmosphere and magnetic field would have been critical to any life that might have existed on early Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A view of Mars\u0026apos; crater-flecked surface from above.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EToday, Mars\u2019 atmosphere is very thin. Billions of years ago, it was much thicker.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/192271236@N03\/52252929420\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E\u00a9UAESA\/MBRSC\/HopeMarsMission\/EXI\/AndreaLuck\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-ND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will measure remnants of this magnetic field that have been preserved by ancient rock and study the flow and energy of Mars\u2019 atmosphere and how it interacts with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-are-solar-storms-and-the-solar-wind-3-astrophysicists-explain-how-particles-coming-from-the-sun-interact-with-earth-264013\u0022\u003Ethe solar wind\u003C\/a\u003E, the stream of particles that the sun emits along with light. These measurements will help to reveal where the atmosphere went and how quickly Mars is still losing it today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWeathering Space on a Budget\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace is not a friendly place. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-space-made-of-an-astrophysics-expert-explains-all-the-components-from-radiation-to-dark-matter-found-in-the-vacuum-of-space-235402\u0022\u003EMost of it is a vacuum\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, mostly empty, without the gas molecules that create pressure and allow you to breathe or transfer heat. These molecules keep things from getting too hot or too cold. In space, with no pressure, a spacecraft can easily get too hot or too cold, depending on whether it is in sunlight or in shadow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the Sun and other, farther astronomical objects \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/radtown\/cosmic-radiation\u0022\u003Eemit radiation\u003C\/a\u003E that living things do not experience on Earth. Earth\u2019s magnetic field protects you from the worst of this radiation. So when humans or our robotic representatives leave the Earth, our spacecraft must survive in this extreme environment not present on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will overcome these challenges with a shoestring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/nasa-mars-escapade-mission-launch-date?\u0022\u003Ebudget totaling US$80 million\u003C\/a\u003E. That is a lot of money, but for a mission to another planet it is inexpensive. It has kept costs low by leveraging commercial technologies for deep space exploration, which is now possible because of prior investments in fundamental research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/grail\/\u0022\u003EGRAIL mission\u003C\/a\u003E, launched in 2011, previously used two spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, to map the Moon\u2019s gravity fields. ESCAPADE takes this concept to another world, Mars, and costs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/new-nasa-mission-to-reveal-moons-internal-structure-and-evolution\/\u0022\u003Ea fraction as much as GRAIL\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Rob Lillis of UC Berkeley\u2019s Space Sciences Laboratory, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/blogs\/escapade\/2025\/09\/22\/nasas-escapade-spacecraft-return-to-florida-to-prepare-for-launch\/\u0022\u003Ethis collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E between spacecraft builders Rocket Lab, trajectory specialists Advanced Space LLC and launch provider Blue Origin \u2013 all commercial partners funded by NASA \u2013 aims to show that deep space exploration is now faster, more agile and more affordable than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jJpt0MPmr7Y?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE represents a partnership between a university, commercial companies and the government.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Will ESCAPADE Get to Mars?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will also use a new trajectory to get to Mars. Imagine being an archer in the Olympics. To hit a bull\u2019s-eye, you have to shoot an arrow through a 15-inch \u2013 40-centimeter \u2013 circle from a distance of 300 feet, or 90 meters. Now imagine the bull\u2019s-eye represents Mars. To hit it from Earth, you would have to shoot an arrow through the same 15-inch bull\u2019s-eye at a distance of over 13 miles, or 22 kilometers. You would also have to shoot the arrow in a curved path so that it goes around the Sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.space.com\/16875-how-far-away-is-mars.html\u0022\u003EMars won\u2019t be at the bull\u2019s-eye\u003C\/a\u003E at the time you shoot the arrow. You must shoot for the spot that Mars will be in 10 months from now. This is the problem that the ESCAPADE mission designers faced. What is amazing is that the physical laws and forces of nature are so predictable that this was not even the hardest problem to solve for the ESCAPADE mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt takes energy to get from one place to another. To go from Earth to Mars, a spacecraft has to carry the energy it needs, in the form of rocket fuel, much like gasoline in a car. As a result, a high percentage of the total launch mass has to be fuel for the trip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen going to Mars orbit from Earth orbit, as much as 80% to 85% of the spacecraft mass has to be propellant, which means not much mass is dedicated to the part of the spacecraft that does all the experiments. This issue makes it important to pack as much capability into the rest of the spacecraft as possible. For ESCAPADE, the propellant is only about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/advspace.publicshare\/Papers-Presentations\/2022\/Parker_ESCAPADE-A-Low-Cost-Formation-at-Mars.pdf\u0022\u003E65% of the spacecraft\u2019s mass\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE\u2019s route is particularly fuel-efficient. First, Blue and Gold will go to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/resource\/what-is-a-lagrange-point\/\u0022\u003EL2 Lagrange point\u003C\/a\u003E, one of five places where gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth cancel out. Then, after about a year, during which they will collect data monitoring the Sun, they will fly by the Earth, using its gravitational field \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/learn\/basics-of-space-flight\/primer\/\u0022\u003Eto get a boost\u003C\/a\u003E. This way, they will arrive at Mars in about 10 more months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis new approach has another advantage beyond needing to carry less fuel: Trips from Earth to Mars are typically favorable to save fuel about every 26 months due to the two planets\u2019 relative positions. However, this new trajectory makes the departure time more flexible. Future cargo and human missions could use a similar trajectory to have more frequent and less time-constrained trips to Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE is a testament to a new era in spaceflight. For a new generation of scientists and engineers, ESCAPADE is not just a mission \u2013 it is a blueprint for a new collaborative era of exploration and discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article was updated on Nov. 13, 2025 to reflect the ESCAPADE launch\u2019s date and success.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/269321\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nasa-goes-on-an-escapade-twin-small-low-cost-orbiters-will-examine-mars-atmosphere-269321\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnvision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/escapade\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE\u003C\/a\u003E, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash: one where small, low-cost spacecraft enable researchers to learn rapidly, iterate, and advance technology and science.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Envision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that NASA\u2019s ESCAPADE, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-11-13 16:09:40","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:09:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678629":{"id":"678629","type":"image","title":"This close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. James Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/svs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/vis\/a010000\/a014600\/a014635\/RL_ESCAPADE_Beauty_Shot002.00001_print.jpg\u0022\u003EJames Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1763136688","gmt_created":"2025-11-14 16:11:28","changed":"1763136688","gmt_changed":"2025-11-14 16:11:28","alt":"This close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. James Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center","file":{"fid":"262687","name":"file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":89601,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg?itok=RBt9xq0n"}}},"media_ids":["678629"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nasa-goes-on-an-escapade-twin-small-low-cost-orbiters-will-examine-mars-atmosphere-269321","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/christopher-carr-2251684\u0022\u003EChristopher Carr\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/glenn-lightsey-1519875\u0022\u003EGlenn Lightsey\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Space Systems Technology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}