posted 10-21-2019 08:00 AM               

Astrovan II: Airstream builds new transport for Boeing Starliner crews

When Chris Ferguson last left for a launchpad to lift off into space, he rode on a modified Airstream motorhome that NASA used for decades to transport its astronauts. Now, eight years after Ferguson commanded the final space shuttle mission, there is a new Airstream vehicle ready to take him, his crew and future astronauts to the pad to fly on Boeing's new commercial spacecraft.

The newly-revealed Astrovan II, built in partnership by Airstream and Boeing, will take crews — beginning with Ferguson's, as soon as early 2020 — to Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will be poised for launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.

posted 06-04-2021 12:45 AM               

He shows me an Airstream Atlas and says, "The interior is of course completely different. However the outer shell, engine, drive train, transmission, chassis and cab are all identical to the new NASA Astrovan II built for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner. This vehicle came off the same production line."

I replied, "I want it. But I want the exterior painted to match the NASA Astrovan II perfectly."

The sales guy said, "That can be done after market at a custom paint shop." And then he added, "Provided it doesn't violate any copyright laws."

So how about it? Is the paint scheme for the Astrovan II copyrighted?

posted 11-22-2021 08:09 AM               

As for the vinyl wrap I didn’t copy the Boeing Astrovan II. Instead I created my own original design inspired by the new Astrovan. In my design the Starliner Spacecraft is rendered a bit smaller and at a different angle so that it stands out as a space capsule. Also I eliminated the black background and stars to give it a cleaner look. In addition to that I made the American flags larger to stand out better. I left the Mercedes-Benz three point star logo in place front and back as opposed to covering them with the Airstream logo.

The “public” reaction has been fantastic. I’m often asked if it’s the actual astrovan and I always answer no. But that doesn’t stop people from enjoying it. They ask to photograph themselves standing in front of it. Parents want to take pictures of their kids sitting in the driver’s seat. One Silicon Valley venture capitalist offered to buy it. Spaceflight enthusiasts act as if it’s the Ghostbusters ECTO-1 or Speed Racer’s Mack 5.

posted 06-06-2022 12:46 PM               

NASA Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams were kind enough to autograph a photo of it for my sixth grade astronomy students. However they have yet to accept my offer to take it for a test spin. Perhaps they will, someday. A fifth grade teacher from Ed White Elementary School in El Lago, Texas chased me because she wanted to ask about it.

Leaving the Mercedes-Benz logo visible in the front and back proved to be useful for overnight "stealth" camping in an urban environment. I've found that I'm welcome to park overnight at any Mercedes-Benz dealership and such places have night watchmen so I always feel quite safe.

If there's any drawbacks at all it'd be that the vehicle has more capability than I need. But a smaller van wouldn't be a true "Astrovan." Here's a picture of it and bonus points to the first person who can name the house in the background.