Now Here’s An Appropriate NASA Astronaut Transport Study For The Future

While the U.S.’s current space program is nothing like it was a few decades ago, designer Alexander Imnadze Baldini has penned his dream astronaut transfer van, or Astrovan, that could be used by NASA in the future.

At the height of the nation’s space program, NASA used a custom van to transport astronauts from the Operations and Checkout building to the launch pad before a mission. Inspired by that van, Baldini has rendered a modern-day van that certainly looks the part.

Perhaps the first thing that will impress you about the vehicle is its sheer size. Featuring six axles, it is incredibly long and would offer the astronauts more than enough space. It also has a very intriguing design and one that’s fitting of some of the Astrovans used by NASA in the past, which are featured in the gallery below.

At the front, for example, it has a slim windshield and three LED light bars acting as headlights. It also lacks traditional doors and instead has a single large hatch on the side that’s meant to provide easy ingress and egress. Found at the rear is a large window with an LED strip running around it, and a secondary horizontal LED light bar.

Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to ever see a new Astrovan that looks anything like this. In fact, the latest Astrovan was only unveiled in October last year by Boeing and Airstream. It is based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and is a far cry from the modified motorhomes that were used during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Note: This is an independent illustration by Alexander Imnadze Baldini that has not been endorsed by NASA