Orion Spacecraft

Orion is NASA's deep-space crew vehicle, designed to carry four astronauts on lunar and eventually Mars-class missions. The capsule is built by Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility, paired with a European Service Module supplied by Airbus Defence and Space under an ESA contribution.

Orion flew uncrewed on Artemis I in 2022, completing a 25-day lunar flight test that validated its avionics, thermal protection, and life-support systems. It will fly crew for the first time on Artemis II and land astronauts near the Gateway and SpaceX Starship HLS on Artemis III. Orion represents the centerpiece of the United States' sovereign crewed deep-space capability.

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