- Launcher
- Orion
#orion#vehicles
Orion is NASA’s spacecraft for flights to the Moon and back. It consists of a crew return capsule and a service module that provides propulsion, power, and other systems during flight.
The uncrewed Artemis I mission demonstrated Orion’s basic profile to the Moon, into distant retrograde orbit, and back through Earth’s atmosphere. Later missions are intended to progressively expand experience for crewed lunar flight.
Key context
- Orion is designed to return through Earth’s atmosphere at high speed from a lunar trajectory.
- Artemis I was an uncrewed test mission of the Orion and SLS system.
- Orion’s service module provides propulsion and power during flight.
Follow us
Follow us on social media
New plates, trivia and behind-the-scenes updates as soon as they are ready.
Sources & further reading
Spaceflightpedia. (n.d.). Orion. Retrieved 21 October 2026, from https://spaceflightpedia.com/article/orion
article text — CC-BY-SA · ◉ NASA photography — public domain · ✦ AI illustration — marked, generated from sources
How it works
- Why does a spacecraft get so hot during re-entry?
- How does a heat shield work?
- Why is a parachute not enough for returning from space?
- Why does atmospheric entry angle matter?
