JavaScript Required

Jumpseat Aerospace News requires JavaScript to function. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings to continue.

NASA's ESCAPADE Captures Earth, Moon in Visible and Infrared Light

July 24, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft captured images of Earth and the Moon.
The images were taken in visible and thermal infrared light.
The spacecraft is currently in a loiter orbit around Lagrange point 2.
ESCAPADE will study the Martian environment and atmospheric loss in 2027.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Key Takeaways.

Upgrade

Strategic Implications

This mission may indicate NASA's growing interest in understanding the Martian environment and its interaction with the solar wind. The use of thermal infrared imaging suggests a focus on studying the thermal properties of the Martian surface and atmosphere, which could have implications for future Mars missions.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Strategic Implications.

Upgrade

What Happened

Spacecraft Snaps Family Portrait En Route to Mars

NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft has captured a family portrait of Earth and the Moon in visible and thermal infrared light. The images were taken on July 3, 2026, while the spacecraft was in a loiter orbit around Lagrange point 2, about a million miles from Earth. The ESCAPADE mission, which is funded by NASA’s Heliophysics Division, aims to study the Martian environment and atmospheric loss when it arrives at Mars in September 2027. The spacecraft will use its Visible and Infrared Observation System cameras to investigate the thermal properties of the Martian surface and atmosphere. This mission was first reported by NASA Science.

Source | Originally Published: July 24, 2026

Companies Mentioned