Because driving on Mars, after all, would require one hell of an expedition motorhome, I give you this. It was actually created by artist Tom Sachs, for his SPACE PROGRAM: MARS installation at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
Reading over some of the exhibition material, this is referred to as the MQF, or Mobile Quarantine Facility. So even in the artist’s fancy, this 1972 Winnebago Brave wouldn’t have been Mars bound… but in my mind, I can picture this thing rolling across the Martian landscape. That fits right in with the crazy Airstream-punk™, 1950’s-technology science fiction movie that’s running in my head most days.
Interesting fact… NASA actually used modified Airstream trailers, mounted to pallets for installation aboard the recovery ships, as quarantine facilities for the moon astronauts back in the day). Specially modified classic-model Airstream motorhomes have been employed for many years by NASA to transport astronauts to the launch pad as well.
(Yes, I know that the motorhome pictured above is a Winnebago, but I’ll find any reason to steer the conversation to Airstreams).
Sources: ‘Space Program: Mars’ — Artist Tom Sachs’ Vision (Photos) on space.com, Tom Sachs SPACE PROGRAM: MARS official website.
