The legendary astronaut bus must have an emission-free successor

NASA is looking for a new bus to carry astronauts from their accommodation to the launch pad. So far this has been done by the shiny silver Astrovan, which is now technically obsolete.

US space agency NASA is asking for proposals from the private sector by the end of October. It should lead to a successor to the previous Astrovan. The iconic shiny metallic bus in use thus far dates back to 1983 and has only one mission. It will lead space travelers via the 14.5-kilometer route from their accommodations at the Spaceport and Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the launch pad and back.

Astrofan is now very old and will now be replaced by a modern vehicle in the course of the upcoming Artemis mission. NASA can imagine an entirely new vehicle as well as converting an existing Astrofan into a state-of-the-art zero-emissions technology above all else.

It is particularly important to NASA that the new proposals do justice to the importance of the car. like the space agency in your bid He emphasized that Astrovan’s “shining silver” spectacle with its “eye-catching NASA logo”, which brought “intrepid researchers” to the launch pad, had always evoked “pride and enthusiasm.” The authority expects the same from the back. He must build on this legacy and “update it to a new generation at the same time.”

Proposals must be unique, incorporate new technologies and visually embody Artemis for the public, according to NASA. The vehicle should accommodate eight people, including four fully equipped crew members. The agency describes more details in a catalog dedicated to requirements.

The transition to a new strovan is part of it Artemis mission. With Artemis, NASA will bring the “first woman and first person of color” to the lunar surface and establish a long-term exploration of the moon in preparation for manned missions to Mars. This is what NASA did Orion spaceship And SLS . missile advanced. The landing concept must be supplemented with a gate in lunar orbit.