NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Orion spacecraft will take astronauts to the space station and into orbit around the moon. Image Credit: NASA

Orion ("o-rie-un") will be a new NASA spacecraft for astronauts. The spacecraft will play an important part in the future of human space exploration as astronauts travel to the moon. It is being created as a part of NASA's new human exploration program, Constellation.


What Was Apollo?

The Orion spacecraft will be similar to NASA's Apollo capsule. The Apollo capsule was used in the moon landings and other missions in the 1960s and 1970s. The Apollo capsules were launched on Saturn rockets. The spacecraft could carry three astronauts. The shape of Orion looks very much like the Apollo capsule. The Orion spacecraft will be much bigger. It will have more than twice as much room inside. Orion’s missions will be similar to Apollo's, carrying astronauts into orbit and to the moon. Although it is similar to Apollo, Orion will take advantage of today's technology. That technology will be used in many things, like computers, electronics, life-support systems, propulsion and heat-protection systems.


What Will Orion Do?

The shape of Orion will be very similar to the Apollo capsule used in the 1960s and 1970s. Image Credit: NASA

Orion will be able to carry six astronauts to the International Space Station. Orion will carry four astronauts on missions to the moon. It will also have room for supplies. The Orion capsule will be launched on top of an Ares I ("air-eez one") rocket. The Ares I will put Orion in orbit around Earth. Once there, it can dock with the space station. Reaching orbit could also be the first step on a trip to the moon. Solar array panels will track the sun to provide power that will allow the spacecraft to remain in orbit for months at a time. A new heat shield will keep the crew safe as Orion returns home through Earth's atmosphere. And parachutes will help the vehicle land safely in water on Earth.


How Will Orion Take Astronauts to the Moon?

The Ares I rocket will deliver Orion to Earth's orbit. From there, a second rocket will be needed for the trip to the moon. The Ares V (5) rocket is much bigger and more powerful than the Ares I. For lunar missions, an Ares V rocket will be launched first and will carry the Altair moon lander into Earth orbit. The Ares I will be used to launch the Orion capsule in orbit. Orion will then dock with the Altair. The top stage of the Ares V will push the two vehicles out of Earth orbit and into orbit around the moon. The astronauts will use Altair to land on the moon. Orion will orbit around the moon with no one aboard. At the end of the mission, Altair will take off from the moon and dock with Orion. Orion will return the crew safely to Earth.

This picture shows what Altair might look like docked with Orion in space. Image Credit: NASA

When Will Orion Fly?

Orion is scheduled to fly to the space station for the first time by 2015. Test flights without a crew will begin shortly before that. The first mission to the moon is planned to take place by 2020. Even further in the future, Orion could be used as part of a mission to Mars.


More About Orion
Orion
Constellation
Exploration
Apollo
What Is Ares?
What Is Altair?
Constellation Mission Video: New Spacesuits


David Hitt/NASA Educational Technology Services