Orion spacecraft
Orion is a NASA spacecraft designed to carry humans farther into space than ever before. ESA is providing Orion’s European Service Module, the powerhouse that will supply the spacecraft with electricity, propulsion, thermal control, air and water.
Once launched into space by a rocket, Orion can carry four astronauts around the Moon, to the Gateway station orbiting it, and safely return to Earth, where it will protect its crew as the capsule enters our atmosphere at speeds over 32 000 km/h.
During the successful Artemis I mission in 2022, Orion went further than any spacecraft designed for humans: 432 210 km from our planet and over 64 000 km from the Moon. The previous record, set by Apollo 13, was 400 171 km from our planet and 254 km above the lunar surface.
For Artemis missions, Orion is launched by NASA’s super heavy Space Launch System rocket.
The European Service Module has evolved out of ESA’s five Automated Transfer Vehicles that supplied over 30 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station between 2008 and 2015, and even corrected the Station’s orbit around Earth several times.
The spacecraft
The Orion spacecraft is composed of the Crew Module, the Service Module, and the Launch Abort System.
The Crew Module sits atop the Service Module and carries four astronauts and cargo. This is the only part of Orion designed to land back on Earth, and its heatshield provides protection against the intense heat, around 2700°C, of reentry into our atmosphere at 32 000 km/h.
The European Service Module provides electricity, air, water and thermal control to the Crew Module, as well as propelling it in space. Orion’s complete Service Module is composed of the European Service Module together with the Crew Module Adapter, which connects to the Crew Module. The Crew Module Adapter houses electronic equipment for communications, power and control, and includes a bridge that connects electrical, data and fluid systems between the main modules.
Three elements are required only during launch and are discarded shortly before entering space: the Spacecraft Adapter attaches Orion to its launch vehicle; the Spacecraft Adapter Jettisonable Fairings offer aerodynamic protection during launch; and the Launch Abort System propels the crew capsule away from the rocket in case of emergency, returning it safely to the ground by parachute.
