Orion is NASA's deep space crew capsule, built to keep four astronauts alive for weeks beyond low Earth orbit and to survive reentry at lunar-return speeds of 25,000 mph. The Space Launch System (SLS) is the rocket that throws it moonward: the most powerful rocket NASA has ever flown, producing 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
The pair flew together for the first time on Artemis I in 2022, sending an uncrewed Orion 40,000 miles past the Moon and back. Orion's European-built service module supplies power and propulsion, making it NASA's most international crew vehicle.
No other spacecraft flying today is rated to carry humans beyond Earth orbit. Every Artemis crew rides Orion, and every Orion rides SLS. If this hardware slips, the Moon landing slips with it.
Key Facts
- First flight together
- Artemis I, November 2022
- Crew capacity
- 4 astronauts, up to 21 days free flight
- SLS thrust
- 8.8 million pounds at liftoff
- Service module
- Built by ESA (European Space Agency)
- Reentry speed
- About 25,000 mph from lunar return
Timeline
December 2014
Orion's first uncrewed test flight, EFT-1, on a Delta IV Heavy
November 2022
First SLS launch sends Orion around the Moon on Artemis I
December 2022
Orion survives lunar-velocity reentry and splashes down
Next up
Artemis II crewed flight, planned
Latest Orion and SLS News
Isaacman “Extremely Confident” Artemis III Will Launch in 2027
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said today he’s “extremely confident” Artemis III will launch next year to test rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and test versions of the two human […]
Artemis
Orion and SLS
Perseids Meteor Shower
The constellation Orion is framed by two Perseid meteors in this photo from Aug. 12, 2018, in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. The Perseids – one of the year’s brightest and most popular meteor showers – has been ra
Orion and SLS
Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Models Joined
Technicians joined the Orion crew and service modules together on July 30, 2026, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew module will carry and sustai
Artemis
Orion and SLS
NASA at the Ion: Orion Lessons from Artemis II Shape NASA’s Moon to Mars Path
Seven weeks after the Orion spacecraft returned four astronauts from humanity’s first crewed journey around the Moon since Apollo, Artemis II Orion Vehicle Manager Branelle Rodriguez reflected on the mission’s achievemen
Artemis
International Space Station
I Am Artemis: Elkin Norena
Listen to this audio excerpt from Elkin Norena, resident management officer, NASA’s Space Launch System Program: NASA’s Elkin Norena has helped the agency launch more than a dozen space shuttle missions – that’s more tha
Artemis
Orion and SLS
NASA Seeks Interest for Artemis Mission CubeSats
Organizations interested in launching CubeSats on future Artemis missions should respond to NASA’s request for information (RFI) by Monday, June 1, for initial consideration. “The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the
Artemis
Orion and SLS
I Am Artemis: Tim Goddard
Listen to this audio excerpt from Tim Goddard, NASA open water lead: At the end of their mission around the Moon, NASA’s Artemis II astronauts were recovered from their Orion spacecraft by a team of U.S. Navy divers and
Artemis
International Space Station
Facts last reviewed 2026-07-11. Official mission page: nasa.gov