Orion Spacecraft Gets Apollo Command Module Look

Hey Space Placers!

NASA's new Orion spacecraft is getting a new shiny look to it that is reminiscent of the Apollo Command Module:

Orion New Look
Both From NASA

This is what Orion looked looked like after recovery from Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). You can see the back shell tiles that protected the spacecraft during the searing heat of re-entry.

Orion "Old Look"
NASA

The new look of Orion adds an extra layer of protection to the spacecraft based upon the results of EFT-1 and the higher temperatures that will be encountered when the spacecraft returns from beyond the Moon in Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1).

Here is what the Apollo Command Module looked like. I took this pic at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA sure got it right in building Apollo and that is carrying through as a legacy to Orion.

I can hardly wait to see what Orion looks like in lunar orbit.

Sky Guy in VA