(CNN) — Twin spacecraft are set to take off on an unprecedented, winding journey to Mars, where they will investigate why the barren red planet began to lose its atmosphere billions of years ago.

Called EscaPADE, the mission will aim for an orbital trajectory that has never been attempted before, according to aerospace company Advanced Space, which is supporting the project. If successful, it could be a crucial case study that can allow extraordinary flexibility for planetary science missions down the road.

The robotic mission plans to spend a year idling in an orbital backroad before heading to its target destination. The project is part of NASA’s SIMPLEx , or Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration, program, which aims to spur researchers and companies to devise w

See Full Page