The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UC Berkeley, situated in the hills above the campus, is one of the only two university-based centers in the U.S. capable of overseeing the entire life cycle of satellite missions.
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Since its establishment 67 years ago, SSL has managed nine spacecraft from its Mission Operations Center, contributing to over 100 satellite projects aimed at exploring our solar system. Engineers at the lab engage daily in tasks such as downloading satellite data, monitoring geomagnetic storm instruments, and scheduling spacecraft maneuvers.
The latest project, ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), includes two spacecraft named Blue and Gold. These satellites are set to complete their final Earth flyby in early November before heading towards Mars. Launched by NASA on November 13, 2025, the ESCAPADE mission is designed to investigate Mars’ magnetic field and assess the atmospheric gases' escape to gain insights into how the planet lost its atmosphere.
Scheduled to enter orbit around Mars in late 2027, the twin satellites will provide unprecedented stereo observations of the planet's magnetosphere and map its ionosphere and space environment. This will significantly enhance our understanding of Mars’ evolution over the past 4.5 billion years. The science instruments and data processing systems were developed by SSL scientists and their collaborators, while Rocket Lab USA, based in Long Beach, California, constructed the ESPAPADE spacecraft.
The findings from the ESCAPADE mission will aid in future crewed missions to Mars by evaluating conditions impacting radio communications and gathering essential information about the Martian surface environment, which is vital for human survival and potential colonization efforts.