The new van, built to ferry the astronauts to the launch pad and is the successor of the original Astrovan, used during the days of the Shuttle program. Currently, at display in Washington, Astrovan II will head straight for Cape Canaveral, to get ready for Boeing's CST 100 Starliner crew launch scheduled for next year
Fremont, CA: NASA's mission to return man to the moon is of utmost priority to the space agency and the U.S., and they are leaving no tile unturned to let the world know about it. The shuttle program was a big deal back in the days, and the space agency is making all attempts to keep up the hype about the upcoming launches starting next year. The Space Agency launched the Airstream Astrovan II at the International Astronautical Congress in Washington. The new van, built to ferry the astronauts to the launch pad and is the successor of the original Astrovan, used during the days of the Shuttle program. Currently, at display in Washington, Astrovan II will head straight for Cape Canaveral, to get ready for Boeing's CST 100 Starliner crew launch scheduled for next year.
While the original Astrovan came with the silver bullet look, the new version comes in a full-body wrap that is highlighted by the Boeing's CST 100 Starliner's sticker. The exterior finish is minimalistic and does not come with any fancy touches. On the other hand, the interior has a custom finish that focuses highly on comfort. The interior of the van features sumptuous plush seats that are designed to give a comfortable ride to the astronauts before things get really bumpy on their spaceflight. The vehicle can hold up to eight astronauts in full spacesuits.
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"Astronaut Chris Ferguson was a member of three space shuttle crews, including commanding the final shuttle program flight in 2011. He has a personal affinity for the original Astrovan, and he was one of the folks who first advocated for Airstream to build this new vehicle for Starliner crew transport," said Bob Wheeler, the CEO and president of Airstream. "We're excited that Chris is a member of this Starliner crew, and Airstream is truly proud to continue supporting adventures beyond our planet, we couldn't have a better partner than Boeing."
The custom coach took eight months in the making and was crafted by an expert team of designers at Airstream's Jackson Center, Ohio. The vehicle was built using an Airstream Atlas Touring Coach as the base model. Chris Ferguson, Boeing's director of crew and mission systems for the CST 100 Starliner is expected to fly along with NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann on what will be the first crewed test flight of the new spacecraft.
"Here at Airstream, there's a team of almost a hundred people who played some role in building Astrovan II. Many of them first encountered Airstream through the original Astrovan watching that familiar silver bullet make its way out to the launchpad for shuttle launches," said Wheeler. "To be a part of this next step for America's space program is a dream come true for many of them. The Boeing crew will go from an Airstream to a rocket to the space station, and we couldn't be more excited to be one leg of that journey into orbit."
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