by NASAUS
Carry astronauts to the Moon and back safely. Orion is the crew ship for Artemis, built to survive deep space and the much hotter return from lunar distance.
Flew four astronauts around the Moon on Artemis II (Apr 2026); next, Artemis III in Earth orbit, NET mid-2027.
Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
The crew compartment is a cone with a blunt base. It protects four astronauts during launch, cruise, and landing.
Built by the European Space Agency, the service module holds fuel, water, oxygen, and solar arrays to power the spacecraft.
A thick phenolic ablator on the base burns away during reentry, dissipating the extreme heat of return from lunar velocities.
| Spec | Orion |
|---|---|
| Crew capacity | 4 astronautsR (reported) |
| Capsule diameter | 5.0 mR (reported) |
| Total mass with service module | 10,640 kgR (reported) |
| Distance (Artemis II record) | 252,000 milesR (reported) |
R reported by the company
NASA
Space exploration, aeronautics, government research
U.S. federal agency for civilian space exploration and aerospace research. NASA builds spacecraft (Orion for crewed Moon missions), rockets (SLS), and aircraft (X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator) for scientific discovery.
