Orion

Mission Profile

Orion is NASA's multi-purpose crew vehicle designed for deep space exploration beyond low Earth orbit, capable of carrying up to four astronauts on missions to the Moon, Near-Earth asteroids, and eventually Mars. First test-flown uncrewed on Exploration Flight Test 1 aboard a Delta IV Heavy on 5 December 2014, it subsequently flew on the Artemis I uncrewed lunar flyby in 2022 and the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby planned for 2026. Orion features a Service Module provided by ESA using Automated Transfer Vehicle heritage, providing propulsion, power, and life support during transit. Its 5-meter diameter crew capsule is significantly larger than Apollo and includes advanced radiation protection for the journey through the Van Allen belts and deep space.