Orion's Distant Orbit

Orion sails on its first lunar test flight. Alone and unoccupied in cislunar space, Orion cautiously circles the Moon at a distance greater than any crew-rated spacecraft has been to date.

The Moon enters the frame to welcome its new visitor, having been beyond the reach of human exploration for fifty years. The circles radiating out from the Earth and Moon represent their respective gravitational fields.

Orion is the first spacecraft intended to carry crew to reach beyond the Earth's direct influence since the Apollo missions. With this successful test flight complete, the door is open for humans to return to the Moon once more.