How do astronauts get to their rockets? By Astrovan of course. No, that isn’t a bad dad-joke. This is for real.
And just to clear up any confusion, we aren’t talking about a the Chevy minivan from the 80s.
The Astrovan and it’s cousins have a long history of shuttling astronauts at Kennedy Space Center. Initially, modified trucks and delivery vans were used during Projects Mercury and Gemini.
By the Apollo program, a modified Clark-Cortez motorhome was introduced and stayed in service through the early Space Shuttle missions.
For the Space Shuttle era, NASA used an Airstream Excella motorhome that earned the name “Astrovan”. This vehicle was beloved by astronauts, who appreciated its historical significance and even resisted upgrades to preserve its legacy.
Fast forwarding to recent missions, Boeing and Airstream introduced “Astrovan II” in 2019. This was an upgraded Sprinter van with modern amenities.
And SpaceX? I’m sure you can guess. They use a Tesla Model X. Which in my opinion, seems a bit basic for what is essentially an astronauts walk-up song.
