The Artemis Program is fully underway following NASA's successful Artemis I mission. That was an uncrewed launch, but Artemis II will take astronauts to lunar orbit. Much adieu has been made about the Space Launch System, the vehicle that will transport astronauts to the moon and back. But what about the vehicle that will transport them to the SLS rocket? NASA has been working on that, too, and it just got a trio of custom electric vehicles to chauffeur the Artemis II crew around Kennedy Space Center.
Unlike most NASA hardware procurements, this one seems to have gone off without a hitch. Canoo and NASA announced just over a year ago that Canoo would supply Kennedy Space Center with new crew transport vehicles. In previous eras, NASA has used various types of vans to transport the crew—the most famous are the gleaming silver Astrovans used during the Shuttle program. But NASA couldn't go back to the Astrovan to take Artemis astronauts on a nine-mile journey to its shiny new rocket.
For its big ground transport upgrade, NASA wanted to switch from internal combustion to a more environmentally friendly electric vehicle. It only took a year because Canoo used its upcoming LIfrestyle Vehicle (LV) as a base for the Crew Transportation Vehicles (CTVs). The company claims the LV has the same internal space as a large SUV with a footprint closer to a sedan. That's ideal for NASA, which plans to cram multiple astronauts with full Orion crew spacesuits inside.
The NASA transporters have the same pod-shaped design as the standard LV, but the interior has been tweaked to better suit NASA's needs. The dual side doors (not available on the cheapest LV) will make it easier for astronauts in bulky suits to enter and exit. Oddly, Canoo and NASA have opted not to reveal the interior of the vehicles yet, which implies it will be different from the images Canoo has shared of the LV's interior.
The CTVs will get enter service whenever NASA gets around to launching Artemis II. The program has already experienced numerous delays, so NASA's target of late 2024 for Artemis II may be a little optimistic. Whenever all the pieces are in place, you can look forward to seeing astronauts emerge from these curvy EVs. If you are interested in buying an LV, presumably to repaint it with NAS/Artemis livery, prices start at $39,950 for the smaller "Delivery" model. An LV the same size as NASA's will cost more. You can pay a $100 deposit to get in line for an LV, but there's no firm release date yet.
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