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NASA Astrovan

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The Astronaut Transfer Van, also known as the Astrovan, is a NASA vehicle used at the Kennedy Space Center to transport astronauts from the Operations and Checkout Building to the launch pad before a launch or dress rehearsal and then back following a Shuttle landing.

Earlier vans only needed to transport three astronauts at a time, but when Shuttle/Spacelab crews of six or more needed transport the old Apollo era van was exchanged for the current Astrovan - a modified 1983 Airstream Excella motorhome, which supported every Shuttle mission from STS-9 Colombia on 28th November 1983 to STS-135 Atlantis on 8th July 2011.  

Ideally the whole van should be finished in metallic silver, with blacked out windows and a large NASA logo on the side.  My only addition was a sextant to show the way to the stars.  

Astronauts liked the history-filled vehicle and resisted all attempts to get a replacement.  It became a tradition that every astronaut who traveled those nine miles to the pad went in the same bus as those who went before them.

It would be fitting to dedicate it to the crews of the Challenger and Colombia who didn't get to ride it home.

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