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NASA / Lockheed Martin · Operational · us · Crew Spacecraft

Orion MPCV

NASA deep-space crew capsule; flew first crewed Artemis mission (Artemis II, April 2026).

Verified 2026-06-17 · First flight 2014-12-05

Operator page

Subsystems

propulsion

1 OMS-E main engine (6,000 lbf / ~26.7 kN); 8 auxiliary engines (110 lbf each); 24 RCS thrusters (50 lbf each) on European Service Module.

life-support

ESM supplies life-support essentials; architecture supports deep-space missions.

avionics

Glass cockpit with touchscreen displays; sensor suite for deep-space navigation; GNC for lunar free-return trajectory validated on Artemis II.

thermal

Avcoat ablative heat shield; thermal control provided by European Service Module radiators.

power

ESM solar arrays generating 11 kW.

comms

NASA Docking System (NDS) port for docking; deep-space communications via DSN.

Specs & Metrics

Crew Capacity ↑ better
4 seats
Maximum number of crew members the vehicle can carry on a nominal mission.
Pressurized Volume ↑ better
19.6 m³
Total pressurized volume; habitable volume 8.9 m³
Total internal pressurized volume of the spacecraft in cubic metres.

Program roadmap

Orion MPCV program roadmap2026-04AchievedArtemis II crewed lunar flyby —…2027SlippedArtemis III — first lunar surfa…20262028
  • achieved

    Artemis II crewed lunar flyby — launched April 1, 2026; crew returned safely after ~10-day mission

    2026-04
  • slipped

    Artemis III — first lunar surface landing (with Starship HLS); schedule restructured February 2026

    2027