The astronaut transfer van, known as the Astrovan during the Space Shuttle era, was a NASA vehicle used at the Kennedy Space Center to transport astronauts from the Operations and Checkout Building to the launch pad before a mission and for launch dress rehearsals, and back to the Operations and Checkout Building following a shuttle landing.[1]
According to driver Ronnie King, the early shuttle astronauts liked the history-filled vehicle, even if it was somewhat old, and even argued against upgrading the vehicle. "We were staged to get a new one," King said, and added that word came that the rookie astronauts wanted to keep the vehicle that was a tradition of the astronauts who traveled those nine miles to the pad before them.[1]
During the twenty-minute drive to the launch pad for shuttle launches, the Astrovan usually stopped at least once along the way. An astronaut rode with the crew and was let off near the Vehicle Assembly Building to board the Shuttle Training Aircraft and assess local weather conditions. Senior NASA managers occasionally rode along as well, and were dropped off at the Launch Control Center.[1]
Similar vehicles
During Project Mercury a modified semi truck and trailer were used to transport astronauts to the launch pads LC-5 and LC-14.
During Project Gemini a fleet of converted delivery vans were used to transport astronauts to the launch pad LC-19 (also used for the Apollo 1 crew).
An Itasca Suncruiser M-22RB was used to transport the STS-7 and STS-8 astronauts to the launch pad, as the size of Space Shuttle crews had increased.
A modified 1983 Airstream Excella motorhome, popularly known as the Astrovan, was used from STS-9 through the final Space Shuttle mission (STS-135), and is also on display at the KSC Visitor Center.
On October 21, 2019, the Boeing Company and Airstream announced Astrovan II, a modified Airstream Atlas (with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis) touring coach to carry Boeing commercial crew astronauts to the launch pad where they will board the CST-100 Starliner on their way to the International Space Station. Astrovan II has seating for up to eight (including the driver), and was built at Airstream's Jackson Center, Ohio production facility.
On April 13, 2022, NASA announced that Canoo Technologies Inc would build three new crew transportation vehicles designed to take the fully suited astronauts, their support team, and their equipment on the nine-mile stretch of road from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to the launch pad for the Artemis program.[4]
In Russia and China, cosmonauts and taikonauts have always relied on a bus to take them to the Launch Pad.
