Orion 21

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Orion 21
insignia = Constellation logo white.svg
launch_vehicle = Ares I
launch_pad = Launch Pad 39B
launch = TBD
landing = TBD
duration =
altitude =
inclination =
distance = TBD
crew_photo =
crew_caption =
previous = Orion 19 & Altair 4 ("lunar")
Orion 20 ("ISS")
next = Orion 22

Orion 21 would be the next Orion mission after Orion 20, but is currently not yet mentioned in the NASA Constellation manifest. Although currently not part of the mission schedule released in 2008, Orion 21/Altair 5 will most likely be the first mission conducted by NASA in which all four crew members land on the lunar surface in Altair 5, while the Orion 21 spacecraft is left unmanned in lunar orbit. This will allow NASA the opportunity to fly more scientist-astronauts, and even educator-astronauts, or international astronauts from the current major International Space Station partners (Russia, Japan, European Space Agency, and Canada).

Unlike the Apollo practice of "cross-training" pilot-astronauts to carry out science research (and vice-versa for Apollo-era scientist-astronauts, with military pilot training), this practice of sending two pilot-astronauts and two scientist, educator, or foreign astronauts onto the Moon (as Orion 17/LSAM 3 and Orion 19/LSAM 4 would require three pilot-astronauts due to the need to keep the Orion occupied in lunar orbit) would allow NASA to return a higher yield in lunar science and engineering, as scientist-astronauts (in particular geologists) would be able to detect details on the surface that may be missed by a cross-trained pilot-astronaut.

The mission is planned to last approximately 21 days. Orion 21 will be launched by an Ares I from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39B. It will dock in Low Earth Orbit with a package made of an Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and the fourth LSAM. This package will have been launched in June, 2020 atop of the heavy-lift Ares V rocket. The space assembly will be then be injected towards the Moon by the EDS.

ee also

*List of Constellation missions