Blue Origin expects the maiden flight of New Glenn and the launch of NASA’s Mars Escapade mission to take place in mid-October

Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket and its NASA Mars-bound payload already have a tentative launch date. The company announced Friday that the inaugural flight will occur no earlier than Oct. 13, in order to help NASA study the effects of the solar wind on Mars’ atmosphere. This will be the first time New Glenn has flown in its development, and the date fits perfectly with the window of opportunity for travel to Mars, which occurs roughly every two years based on planetary alignments. That launch window begins Sept. 29 and runs through mid-October, according to NASA. .

The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida. NASA’s twin spacecraft for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (Escapade) will begin preparations and integration with the launch vehicle on Aug. 19.

Now the pressure is really on Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, to get New Glenn ready on time. On Wednesday, the company recently suffered two factory failures that resulted in hardware damage for its second and third New Glenn flights. However, a spokesperson told the publication that it is still on track for this year’s inaugural launch.