Invigorated by a renewed fascination with space exploration, as well as the emergence of billionaire-backed private spaceflight companies, humans are once again shooting for the moon.
Cutting-edge crew capsules, powerful rockets and the world’s first moon-orbiting space station could launch a new push to explore — and eventually inhabit — the lunar surface. So buckle up: The next decade is sure to be a wild ride.
Orion capsule: Astronauts need a reliable vehicle to commute from Earth to the upcoming lunar Gateway space station. That’s where the Orion crew capsule comes in. Developed by Lockheed Martin, NASA and the European Space Agency, the spacecraft could ferry up to six astronauts to lunar orbit by the early 2020s.
