“It is a most important decision that we make as a nation. But all of you have lived through the last four years and have seen the significance of space and the adventures in space, and no one can predict with certainty what the ultimate meaning will be of mastery of space.” John F. Kennedy (source)
With the advent of space exploration came different, inventive ideas of how to travel on planetary surfaces, many of which never came to fruition. For example, the GM MOLAB was a mobile laboratory that was also used as an artificial habitat for astronauts. While it was extremely innovative, it was also terribly heavy and only a Saturn V rocket could have launched it into space. If you’ve ever been to Huntsville, AL, you will see the magnitude of a Saturn V, and how much power would have been needed to get the MOLAB to the moon. As useful as it was for training astronauts and gathering soil samples, the MOLAB never got past New Mexico.
A Novel Concept
Likewise, there were many ideas that stayed just that- ideas. One such example is the “Space Taxi,” by Raymond Loewy. While several of Loewy’s concepts actually were added to spacecraft, there were quite a few designs that didn’t make the cut.
This particular piece is fascinating because Loewy had been contracted to create more hospitable environments for the astronauts their spacecraft. Likewise, his Space Taxi concept appears to be a very comfortable ride for an astronaut cruising the lunar terrain. Unfortunately, this idea never took off…pun intended.
Ridesharing to Space?
Even though Loewy’s Space Taxi concept never caught on, the idea has been bouncing around since. Recently, NASA decided to open space exploration to private firms and astronauts. Instead of global superpowers competing for a piece of the celestial landscape, companies will be competing to be the first to fly their private shuttles to the ISS. This means that anyone willing to risk the journey (and pay the hefty price tag) can catch a ride to space.
So maybe there will be a space taxi after all. While we may not have mastered space just yet, Loewy’s legacy lives on in the design of modern spacecraft.
Concepts as Art: Space Taxi
Artists in the 1900s drew out their design ideas for presentation, much like today’s artists conceptualize on computers. This particular Loewy design did not become famous as a real-life application. However, this drawing is still an incredible testament to his innovation and ingenuity. We have several copies of the Space Taxi concept, each signed and approved by Loewy himself. Visit the Space Taxi product page to purchase your own Loewy design today!
