10 Facts About Orion spacecraft

Orion spacecraft was originally conceived in the early 2000s by Lockheed Martin as a proposal for the Crew Exploration Vehicle to be used in NASA's Constellation program.

Orion spacecraft uses the same basic configuration as the Apollo command and service module that first took astronauts to the Moon, but with an increased diameter, updated thermal protection system, and other modern technologies.

Orion spacecraft includes both crew and service modules, a spacecraft adapter and an emergency launch abort system.

The European service module propels and powers the spacecraft as well as storing oxygen and water for astronauts, Orion relies on solar energy rather than fuel cells which allow for longer missions.

Orion spacecraft crew module is a reusable transportation capsule that provides a habitat for the crew, provides storage for consumables and research instruments, and contains the docking port for crew transfers.

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The crew module is the only part of the Orion spacecraft that returns to Earth after each mission and is a 57.

Orion spacecraft is designed to be 10 times safer during ascent and reentry than the Space Shuttle.

Orion spacecraft CEV was to be launched on the Ares I rocket to low Earth orbit, where it would rendezvous with the Altair lunar lander launched on a heavy-lift Ares V launch vehicle for lunar missions.

Orion spacecraft Lite is an unofficial name used in the media for a lightweight crew capsule proposed by Bigelow Aerospace in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.

Orion spacecraft capsule is designed to support future missions to send astronauts to Mars, probably to take place in the 2030s.