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Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
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Why We Explore

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Why Do We Explore?

From the time of our birth, humans have felt a primordial urge to explore -- to blaze new trails, map new lands, and answer profound questions about ourselves and our universe.

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Latest News

Orion in Test Stand

Orion Undergoes Testing

The Orion crew module is being put through a series of tests that simulate the loads the spacecraft would experience during its mission.

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Orion monthly accomplishments

Orion Monthly Accomplishments

Follow along with Orion's progress toward flight by reading the program's monthly accomplishments.

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Orion in O&C

Final Orion Reaction Control System Pod Arrives

The last of eight reaction control system pods for NASA’s Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 arrived this week at Kennedy Space Center’s Operations and ...

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A model of NASA’s Orion spacecraft

Success Continues as NASA's Orion Parachute Tests Get ...

A test version of NASA's Orion spacecraft safely landed during a simulation of two types of parachute failures Wednesday.

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Astronauts to Explore an Asteroid

As NASA marked the anniversary of the president's exploration vision, news media were updated on the Orion spacecraft that could take astronauts to ...

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Orion Features

  • Built On A Solid Foundation

    Designating Orion as NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle provides our nation with an affordable solution for multiple mission capability by continuing the the NASA-industry team's technology innovations and spacecraft development.

  • Leading Edge Design and Engineering

    Drawing from more than 50 years of spaceflight research and development, the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is designed to meet the evolving needs of our nation's space program for decades to come.

  • Cutaway view of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

    Explore the Exploration Vehicle

    Explore the Launch Abort System, Crew Module and Service Module of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.

  • Map of states in which parts of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle are built

    A NASA-Industry Team Effort

    The Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) design team has incorporated cutting-edge technology garnered through collaborative efforts with every NASA center and hundreds of industry experts across the country.

About Orion

    The Orion MPCV (Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) is based on the Orion design requirements for traveling beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

    • Spacecraft to serve as the primary crew vehicle for missions beyond LEO
    • Capable of conducting regular in-space operations (rendezvous, docking, extravehicular activity) in conjunction with payloads delivered by the Space Launch System (SLS) for missions beyond LEO
    • Capability to be a backup system for International Space Station cargo and crew delivery

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Media Contacts

    For media support regarding Orion, please contact:

    Brandi Dean
    Johnson Space Center
    Phone: 281-483-5111
    brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov