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
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