New Mars Forums

The Mars-bound twin spacecraft for NASA’s ESCAPADE mission were packed up in California to be shipped out to Florida this week ahead of what would be the first ever launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.

ESCAPADE stands for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, and the mission’s purpose is to orbit Mars and observe plasma and magnetic fields around the planet to help understand what processes strip atoms from Mars’ magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. That could help explain why Mars’ atmosphere is so thin, and how it may have evolved over time.

The two small satellites, dubbed Blue and Gold, were built by Rocket Lab in California for NASA and the University of California Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory. They will soon arrive to Kennedy Space Center where they will head to a a cleanroom for post-transport inspections and tests. Eventually they will be encapsulated for launch on New Glenn from Blue Origin’s pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36, something Blue Origin officials state will happen before the end of the year.

Rocket Lab is most known for its small launch vehicle activity, second to only SpaceX in recent years for number of launches, mostly from New Zealand from whence its founder and CEO Peter Beck hails. Rocket Lab notably successfully launched the CAPSTONE mission for NASA to prove future spacecraft such as Artemis mission Orion capsules could enter a unique type of orbit around the moon.

On August 6, Fenice posted the data affecting 2.9 billion personal records and claimed that a distinct hacker named SXUL, not USDoD, caused the breach.
stolen data from the background check company National Public Data

A 70-lb (32-kg) box, measuring only 5 inches (12.7 cm) in height, sits atop the vehicle much like a rooftop cargo carrier.  What sets it apart is the 200 watts of solar panels integrated into its roof, allowing for a continuous trickle charge while the vehicle is in motion.

This ingenious design amplifies the total solar output to an impressive 1,200 watts, significantly boosting the charging capacity.

A 120-V output cable plugs directly into the car’s charging port, providing Level 1 charging straight from the sun. GoSun has engineered the panels to withstand winds up to 30 mph (50 km/h), ensuring reliable performance even in challenging weather conditions. The closed box is also designed to handle highway speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).

Under optimal sunlight conditions, it can provide up to 30 miles (50 km) of range per day.  In more typical scenarios, EV owners can expect to gain between 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 km) of range daily.

The GoSun EV Solar Charger is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website, with an estimated retail price of $2,999. GoSun has indicated that pre-assembled units will begin shipping to customers in 2025. The installation process is designed to be user-friendly, taking only about 20 minutes to complete.