Overview
Orion (officially the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, MPCV) is NASA's crew capsule designed for deep-space exploration. It is the only currently operational spacecraft designed to carry humans beyond low Earth orbit — to the Moon, and eventually to Mars. Orion launches atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and completed its first uncrewed test flight around the Moon on Artemis I in November 2022.
Unlike Crew Dragon and Starliner (which operate in LEO), Orion is built for the extreme conditions of deep space — higher radiation, longer missions and re-entry speeds of 40,000 km/h from lunar return trajectories. Its heat shield is the largest ever flown on a crewed spacecraft.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin (crew module), Airbus Defence & Space (ESM) |
| Crew | Up to 4 astronauts |
| Crew Module Diameter | 5.02 m (16.5 ft) |
| Habitable Volume | 8.95 m³ |
| Total Mass | ~26,500 kg (crew module + service module) |
| Mission Duration | 21 days solo, 6+ months with docked habitat |
| Launch Vehicle | SLS (Space Launch System) |
| Launch Site | LC-39B, Kennedy Space Centre |
| Heat Shield | Avcoat ablator (5 m diameter — largest ever flown) |
| Launch Abort | Launch Abort System (LAS) tower with 3 solid motors |
| Re-entry Speed | Up to 40,000 km/h (11 km/s) from lunar return |
| Landing | Parachute splashdown (Pacific Ocean) |
European Service Module (ESM)
Orion's service module is built by Airbus Defence and Space on behalf of ESA — Europe's contribution to the Artemis programme. The ESM provides propulsion (1 × AJ10 main engine + 8 auxiliary thrusters), power (4 solar arrays generating 11.1 kW), thermal control, water and air for the crew. It is derived from the design of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) that resupplied the ISS between 2008 and 2015.
Artemis I
On 16 November 2022, Orion launched uncrewed atop SLS on the Artemis I mission. It entered a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon, reaching 432,210 km from Earth — the farthest distance any human-rated spacecraft has ever travelled. The mission lasted 25.5 days and ended with a precision splashdown in the Pacific. The Avcoat heat shield withstood re-entry at 40,000 km/h — the fastest re-entry speed ever experienced by a human-rated vehicle. Post-flight analysis revealed unexpected heat shield charring patterns, which were investigated before Artemis II flew in April 2026.
Recent and Upcoming Missions
Artemis II: The first crewed Orion mission, launched on 1 April 2026 and completed successfully. Four astronauts flew a lunar flyby trajectory (no landing), the first crewed flight beyond LEO since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew was Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen (CSA).
Artemis III and beyond: Orion will carry crew to lunar orbit where they transfer to SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System for the actual lunar surface landing. Later missions will dock at the Gateway lunar space station.
Orion vs Other Spacecraft
| Parameter | Orion | Crew Dragon | Shenzhou |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Profile | Lunar / deep space | LEO / ISS | LEO / CSS |
| Crew | 4 | 4 (7 max) | 3 |
| Diameter | 5.02 m | 4.0 m | 2.80 m |
| Mass | 26,500 kg | 12,519 kg | 7,840 kg |
| Re-entry Speed | 11 km/s | 7.8 km/s | 7.8 km/s |
| Heat Shield | Avcoat (5 m) | PICA-X (4 m) | Ablative |
| Launch Vehicle | SLS | Falcon 9 | Long March 2F |
| Reusable | Partial (planned) | Yes (4+ flights) | No |
Key Milestones
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Dec 2014 | EFT-1: First Orion test flight (Delta IV Heavy, LEO) |
| Jul 2019 | Ascent Abort Test: Launch Abort System validated |
| Nov 2022 | Artemis I: First SLS launch; Orion lunar flyby; record distance for crewed-rated vehicle |
| Apr 2026 | Artemis II: First crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17, completed successfully |
| TBD | Artemis III: First crewed lunar landing since 1972 |
Which spacecraft for your mission?
Pick a mission profile and we'll rank the world's crewed and cargo spacecraft by suitability — capability, flight heritage, reusability and fit. A live calculation across our spacecraft catalogue, not a static list.
Anatomy & mission profile
- Crew4 max
- Pressurised vol19.6 m³
- Mass26,520 kg
- Launch vehicleSLS
- Abort systemLaunch Abort System (tower, puller)
- LandingOcean splashdown
Pressurised volume to scale
Approximate pressurised volume — a sense of how roomy each vehicle is for crew or cargo.
Orion vs every crew & cargo spacecraft
| Spacecraft | Type | Crew | Cargo kg | Vol m³ | Reuse | Debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Orion you are here | Deep-space crew capsule | 4 | — | 19.6 | No | 2022 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Crew Dragon | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cargo Dragon | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Starliner | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 11 | ♻︎ Yes | 2019 | Under review |
| 🇷🇺 Soyuz MS | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7.5 | No | 1967 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Shenzhou | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7 | No | 2003 | Operational |
| 🇷🇺 Progress | Cargo spacecraft | — | 2,400 | 7.6 | No | 1978 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Tianzhou | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,700 | 18.1 | No | 2017 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cygnus | Cargo spacecraft | — | 3,750 | 27 | No | 2013 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Dream Chaser | Cargo spaceplane | — | 5,500 | 16 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇺🇸 Starship HLS | Crewed lunar lander | 4 | 100,000 | 100 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇯🇵 HTV-X | Cargo spacecraft | — | 5,850 | 30 | No | 2025 | Pre-operational |
Tap any column to sort · crew = maximum seats, cargo = pressurised + unpressurised upmass · figures are best estimates as of 2026.
Track Orion across Orbital Radar
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Artemis II launched on 1 April 2026 and completed successfully, carrying four astronauts around the Moon, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17. Orion is now assigned to Artemis III, which will attempt the first crewed lunar landing since 1972. Check the launch schedule for the latest date.
No. Orion carries crew to lunar orbit. Crew transfer to Starship HLS for the actual landing. Orion stays in orbit and brings the crew home.
Orion is designed for deep space (Moon/Mars) at 11 km/s re-entry. Crew Dragon operates in LEO (ISS) at 7.8 km/s. Orion is larger, heavier and has its own propulsion system. See the comparison table above.
Airbus Defence and Space builds the European Service Module (ESM) on behalf of ESA. It provides propulsion, power, thermal control and life support.
Up to 40,000 km/h (11 km/s) from lunar return, 40% faster than ISS returns. The 5-metre Avcoat heat shield is the largest ever flown on a crewed spacecraft.