Orion blueprint

Orion blueprint showing different views and measurements, to scale.

Orion is NASA’s spacecraft to send humans into space. It is designed to send astronauts farther into space than ever before, to the Moon and beyond. When they return to Earth, the astronauts will enter our atmosphere at speeds over 32 000 km/h but the capsule will protect them and ensure a bumpy but safe landing.

ESA has designed and is overseeing the development of Orion’s European Service Module, the part of the spacecraft that supplies air, electricity and propulsion. Much like a train engine pulls passenger carriages and supplies power, the European Service Module will take the Orion capsule to its destination and back. The design of the module is based on ESA's proven heritage with its five Automated Transfer Vehicles, which brought over 30 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station.

Orion has gone farther than any other crewed spacecraft has before on the Artemis I mission, and European design and technology made that happen.

Updated on 30 January 2026 with a new layout.