Buzz Aldrin and Sprayground Unveil a Solar Backpack for Your Mars Visit
Buzz Aldrin knows a thing or two about dressing for space. After all, he did walk on the moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission, and he did take a stroll in space.
But what about Mars, you ask? Well, Buzz has you covered: a $150 solar-panel backpack in all the right colors for Mars.
The backpack is part of Aldrin's "Mission to Mars" fashion line with the New York-based accessories label Sprayground, and launches today (Feb. 8) as the final piece in the line's limited run. Sprayground launched the collaboration with Aldrin last December, but the solar-panel backpack was the sole item unavailable at the time. The rest of the fashion capsule line included a parka, duffel bag, baseball cap and gloves. Those items have sold out, Sprayground representatives said. [In Photos: Buzz Aldrin's Mars Fashion Line with Sprayground]
"Buzz is THE astronaut for our generation," Sprayground wrote in the initial announcement. "Not only was he the second man to walk on the moon via Apollo, he moonwalked on 'Dancing with the Stars', took the first 'space selfie' on Gemini and now his vision is spearheading a grass roots movement for us to explore Mars. His adventurous spirit captivates dreamers and doers of all ages, people not afraid to push the envelope at work, in fashion, in life."
Aldrin's Mission to Mars: Solar Panel Backpack includes eight solar-panel strips, two USB ports for charging and an external battery pack. And, of course, there are plenty of pockets and zippers that you'd expect of an astronaut-inspired design.
You can learn more about Aldrin's Mission to Mars: Solar Panel Backpack at Sprayground here.
Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.