NASA's Orion Program: Future Missions and Production Plans

As space exploration continues to evolve, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) stands as a crucial element in NASA's plans for deep space missions. Announced in 2011, the Orion program has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight. This article delves into the current and future production plans for Orion spacecraft, highlighting the milestones and future missions.

Orion MPCV: A Brief Overview

The Orion MPCV was first announced by NASA on May 24, 2011. Derived from the canceled Constellation program and based on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Orion design was awarded to Lockheed Martin in a 2006 contract. NASA initially contracted Lockheed Martin to build two Orion MPCVs for cis-Lunar missions, with the first vehicles set to fly on Artemis 1 and Artemis 2.

Production and Procurement: Current and Future Orders

In a significant development, on September 23, 2019, NASA announced it would order at least six Orion crew capsules from Lockheed Martin for $4.6 billion, aimed at transporting astronauts to the vicinity of the moon in the 2020s. Additionally, NASA revealed plans to purchase hardware for up to twelve Orion vehicles by 2030.

"NASA taps Lockheed Martin to build six more Orion crew capsules," announced Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin's Orion program manager. The contract includes crew modules, launch abort systems, and adapters connecting the Orion crew modules with European-made service modules. Hamburgia

“The contract is structured as IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity),” Hawes explained. “They can order as many as they see fit. Three was a good break point for achieving production efficiencies and cost savings by ordering all at once.”

Orion Vehicles: An Overview

The fleet of Orion vehicles is currently undergoing various stages of development and testing. Below is a detailed list of the Orion spacecraft:

List of Orion Capsules

001 - Retired: Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) - The first Orion to fly in space did not have a service module. This was a mission aimed at testing the vehicle's systems in space.

002 - Active: Artemis 1 - An unmanned mission planned for at least 25 days. Upon completion, this capsule will join the other active Orion spacecraft in test scenarios before its primary mission.

003 - Under Construction: Artemis 2 - The first Orion planned to carry crew members on its journey. This capsule is currently in the stages of final construction and assembly.

004 - Under Construction: Artemis 3 - The pressure vessel for this mission has been completed at Michoud. This step indicates the significant progress being made towards its final construction.

005 - Under Construction: Artemis 4 - Currently, the pressure vessel is under construction, following the 2019 contract.

006 - Parts Acquisition. Not Yet Started: This capsule will be constructed using parts acquired through the ongoing IDIQ contract, indicating the future procurement plans of NASA.

Production Efficiency and Cost Savings

NASA aims to achieve cost savings and production efficiencies by ordering Orion vehicles in groups of three at a time. According to the latest procurement plan, the first set of three Orion vehicles purchased by NASA will come with an average cost of $900 million each. NASA plans to order an additional three Orion vehicles in fiscal year 2022 for $1.9 billion or approximately $633 million per mission.

Conclusion

The Orion program continues to be a critical component of NASA's strategic initiatives in deep space exploration. With the ambitious goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon and paving the way for further missions, the production and procurement plans for Orion spacecraft are central to these endeavors. As the Orion program matures, it will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in achieving the goals of the Artemis program and beyond.