Rocket Lab Corp ( RKLB ) confirmed a major milestone on Thursday as two NASA-backed spacecraft began their long trek toward Mars.

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The probes, developed for the agency and the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Nov. 13 aboard a Blue Origin rocket at 3:55 p.m. EST.

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Mars Mission Enters Early Operations Phase

The company said teams made initial contact with both spacecraft shortly after launch, noting that each vehicle produced stable power. Engineers will now run a series of early tests that include orientation checks, solar array deployment and activation of guidance hardware before the mission advances to maneuver planning.

Rocket Lab's ( RKLB ) Explorer-class platform is designed for high-energy missions beyond Earth orbit.

The ESCAPADE program moved from early design work to launch readiness in roughly three-and-a-half years, which the company described as an unusually rapid pace for a Mars-focused project. Executives credited their vertically integrated production model, which brings avionics, propulsion hardware, reaction wheels, and other critical systems under one roof.

Unusual Route Will Set Up A 2026 Gravity Assist

Because Earth and Mars are not aligned for a direct transfer, the mission will first follow a looping path near Earth's Lagrange point 2.

The spacecrafts will wait in that region until fall 2026, when they can use an Earth gravity assist to begin the final cruise toward Mars.

Arrival is expected in September 2027, with science operations scheduled to start the following year.

Glimpse At Q3 Performance

On Nov. 10, Rocket Lab reported third-quarter revenue of $155.05 million, beating the consensus estimate of $151.75 million.

The end-to-end space company reported a third-quarter loss of three cents per share, beating analyst estimates for a loss of 11 cents per share.

Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) said it secured 17 Electron launch contracts in the quarter. The company expects to surpass its previous annual launch record in the fourth quarter and remains on track to close out the year with more than 20 launches.

Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) expects fourth-quarter revenue to be between $170 million and $180 million versus estimates of $171.80 million.

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) shares were up 1.64% Friday morning, trading at $45.85 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro.

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