NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The information in this document was accurate as of the original publication date.

Audience: Educators
Grades: 8-12


The Orion spacecraft will replace the space shuttle as NASA's vehicle for human space exploration. Orion is designed to accommodate four to six astronauts traveling into space. This activity focuses on the crew module, one of four functional modules of the Orion spacecraft. Students will find the areas of the largest vertical and horizontal cross sections. This information will provide students a sense of the room within the crew module. Students will also be asked how many crew modules could fit in their classroom. This problem might be extended to larger areas such as the gymnasium or cafeteria.

Next-Generation Spacecraft -- Orion teacher edition [639KB PDF file]
Next-Generation Spacecraft -- Orion student edition [553KB PDF file]


This problem is part of the Exploring Space Through Algebra series.
Other problems in this series include:
Space Shuttle Ascent
Weightless Wonder -- Reduced-Gravity Flight
Extension Activity -- Weightless Wonder