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Because rockets occasionally blow up on the launchpad, It's not a good idea to have buildings nearby. That's why the facilities where astronauts—and recently, space tourists—suit up is down the road a ways from the actual pad.
Thus vehicles are needed to get them there. Jeff Bezos famously showed up for his launch in a Rivian. Elon Musk's SpaceX ferries spacegoers to their launchpad in Teslas. Now NASA has signed a deal with EV manufacturer Canoo to provide their launchpad taxi:
Canoo's CTV (Crew Transportation Vehicle) met NASA's requirements for being zero-emissions, having a range of at least 50 miles and being able to seat eight people (one driver, three support staff, and four suited-up astronauts).
The CTV will go into service for NASA's forthcoming Artemis missions, which are to send astronauts back to the moon starting in 2023.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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NASA Taps Canoo to Produce Astronaut Taxis for the Launchpad
Nice! This makes me think of the iconic imagery of astronauts riding out to their Gemini and Apollo rockets. Using Canoo vehicles will be a nice touch for future NASA launches!
Gotta love cash-strapped NASA for commissioning totally unnecessary vehicles. Keep racking up those tax dollars!