Orion
As NASA prepares to land astronauts on the Moon, the space agency developed a crew capsule to carry its next-generation explorers to lunar orbit. The spacecraft has yet to perform a mission with actual astronauts on board, but the vessel is crew-rated and ready for the task.
The Orion capsule is designed to carry a crew of four astronauts to beyond Earth orbit and accommodate its passengers for up to 21 days. Orion already flew to the Moon and back during the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight in late 2022, and it is currently being prepped for its first crewed flight in September 2025—the much-anticipated Artemis 2 mission. That said, the capsule still has a few outstanding safety issues, including a wonky heat shield, that could jeopardize its upcoming mission.
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