Orion

NASA's deep-space capsule for four astronauts, built by Lockheed Martin, flying on a European Service Module from Airbus that supplies propulsion, power and water. Its heat shield, five metres across, is designed for reentry at lunar return speed, about 11 km/s. After two uncrewed flights, Integrity carried the Artemis II crew around the Moon in April 2026, the first humans to go there since 1972.

Key figures

Builder

Lockheed Martin, Airbus

Status

In service

First flight

2014

Diameter

5 m

Span

18.9 m

Crew

4 seats

Missions

• Artemis II: The Complete Mission in Real-Time 3D
• Artemis IV: The Complete Mission in Real-Time 3D

Destinations

• Moon

Launch pads

• LC-39B (2026, Modelled for Artemis II)
• Starbase (2028, Modelled for Artemis IV)

All spacecraft