Mars used to be a different planet once; it had water, had a thick atmosphere and was warmer. Now the red planet is cold and dry, and its atmosphere has also eroded. Reason: the relentless flurry of particles from the sun hitting right into it; these streams are commonly known as solar winds. Over the course of time, billions of years if we have to put it into a bracket, it has slowly stripped off what was once Martian atmosphere; this has finally resulted in the planet cooling down and the water evaporating.
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ESCAPADE, an expedition launched by NASA on November 13, 2025, has activated the tools and instruments that will try to discover and investigate how the Sun has impacted the weather and atmosphere on Mars and how it still continues to influence our terrestrial neighbour. The instruments have started operations as of February 25, and as of now the spacecraft is in the loitering phase and is orbiting in the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point (L2), which is approximately 1 million miles from our home planet. The spacecraft will study space weather near Earth as well as on its way to Mars.
ESCAPADE's findings on Mars could be very crucial; this could harvest a new era of exploration, and with study about the red planet's atmosphere, scientists will be able to analyse conditions properly and secure future space explorations and missions from Mars's harsh atmospheric conditions.
Joe Westlake, heliophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington, expressed, “The pioneering ESCAPADE duo will not only investigate the Sun’s role in transforming Mars into an uninhabitable planet but also will help inform the development of space weather protocols for solar events directed at Mars during future human missions to the Red Planet." He further added, “By joining the heliophysics fleet of missions across the solar system, ESCAPADE will be another weather station making humans and technology in space safer and more successful.”
For the first time
This is the first time a space exploration mission like this is going to take place, where Nasa is going to coordinate two orbiters around our neighbour, the red planet. This will give our scientists the perspective that has never been explored before. The twin orbiter will then study short-term changes in Mars' magnetosphere, the magnetised environment surrounding the red planet. This will help in analysing in real time how the atmosphere is slowly stripped off.
Once ESCAPADE reaches Mars, the real science work begins
The mission includes two spacecraft. In the first phase, both will travel in the same orbit, one following the other. They will pass over the same regions at different times, helping scientists track what is changing and when those changes occur. Think of it as observing the same location twice to spot subtle shifts.
After about six months, the formation will change. The two spacecraft will move into different orbits. One will travel farther away from Mars, while the other remains closer to the planet. This second phase will last around five months. During this time, the mission will study the solar wind and Mars’ magnetosphere at the same time. This allows researchers to see how Mars responds to incoming solar particles in real time.
This research is important for future human missions
On Earth, we are protected from the Sun’s radiation by a strong global magnetic field. That shield deflects many of the Sun’s energetic particles. Mars once had a stronger magnetic field too, but over billions of years it weakened.
Today, Mars has a fragmented system. Some magnetism is trapped in parts of the planet’s crust, and the rest forms from the interaction between the solar wind and charged particles in the upper atmosphere. Scientists describe this as a hybrid magnetosphere, but it does not provide strong protection.
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Because Mars also has a thin atmosphere, solar radiation can reach the surface more easily. That poses a real risk for astronauts who may one day explore the planet.
ESCAPADE will also study Mars’ ionosphere, a layer of the upper atmosphere that will be essential for communication. Just as we use Earth’s ionosphere to transmit radio and navigation signals, future explorers on Mars will rely on it to stay connected across the planet.