NASA’s area program is welcoming one other new car to its fleet with the much-anticipated launch of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft: the Airstream Astrovan II crew transport car that shuttles astronauts to the launch pad.
The Astrovan II wasn’t wanted for the Starliner’s first launch, as that mission was uncrewed. However now that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are flying the capsule to the Worldwide House Station, they want a journey for the nine-mile journey out to House Launch Complicated-41 at Cape Canaveral House Drive Station in Florida.
After getting a observe journey in Astrovan II throughout a flight rehearsal, the crew was obsessed with their new journey throughout a web-based media Q&A. “It’s epic!,” exclaimed Crew Flight Check Commander Butch Wilmore. “I imply, you might be within the Astrovan!”
He went on to explain the Airstream’s fascinating options. “It’s bought cushioned seats and naturally, it’s bought a giant video display within the again, and as you’ll anticipate, two Navy take a look at pilots, you realize what film we placed on. And really, I had them edit out, and put solely within the flying scenes and the dramatic scenes. After all, it was High Gun: Maverick. And we’ll watch the identical one on the best way out to the pad Monday evening [for the flight].
Airstream Astrovan II. AIRSTREAM
Astronaut Sunita Williams clarified the film scenes watched throughout their journey to emphasise her background as a Navy take a look at pilot, saying, “We did watch the seaside scene as properly and it was a stunning helicopter that was flying previous these guys as they had been enjoying soccer additionally. I had so as to add that in there.”
Beginning with area shuttle mission STS-9 in November 1983 to the ultimate mission in 2011, the unique Astrovan was a modified 1983 Airstream Excella Class A motorhome of the Airstream’s iconic silver bullet design. Astrovan II is a Class B motorhome, which implies that it’s a transformed van. On this case, the essential van is an Airstream Atlas, which is constructed on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van platform.
Astrovan II was custom-built at Airstream’s Jackson Heart, Ohio manufacturing facility in session with Boeing’s Starliner crew. Along with Astrovans I and II, Airstream additionally supplied NASA with 4 Cell Quarantine Amenities constructed from the corporate’s signature chrome steel journey trailers. They constructed one every for Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 13, and Apollo 14, although Apollo 13’s went unused as a result of that mission didn’t attain the moon. After Apollo 14, worry of moon germs was deemed unwarranted, and the astronauts had been now not quarantined.
The unique Astrovan, seen on the Kennedy House Heart’s customer’s middle. NASA
