What is the purpose of the orbital loitering phase for the ESCAPADE probes?
Answer
To save fuel and reduce launch vehicle costs
By opting for a longer and more efficient flight path through deep space, the mission avoids the need for a high-energy burn sequence that would otherwise be required for a rapid arrival. This approach minimizes the total propellant required for the mission, allowing the spacecraft to be launched as secondary payloads on larger rockets, which significantly lowers the overall expense of the mission.
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NASA's ESCAPADE Investigates Mars Space Weather - YouTube
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