This spacecraft will serve as the primary crew vehicle for missions beyond low Earth orbit. The Orion MPCV is capable of conducting regular in-space operations (rendezvous, docking, extravehicular activity) in conjunction with payloads delivered by the Space Launch System for missions beyond low Earth orbit. The spacecraft also has the capability to be a backup system for International Space Station cargo and crew delivery.
The Space Launch System (SLS) Program will develop a heavy-lift launch vehicle to expand human presence to celestial destinations beyond low Earth orbit. This launch vehicle will be capable of lifting the Orion MPCV to asteroids, the moon, Lagrange points, and ultimately for missions to Mars. It will also serve as a backup launch system for supplying and supporting the International Space Station cargo and crew requirements not met by other available launch vehicles.
Building on five decades of launch and processing excellence, the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is transforming Kennedy Space Center into a multi-user spaceport capable of accommodating a wide array of government and commercial space activities. Existing infrastructure and facilities are being modernized to support processing and launch of multiple vehicles, from NASA's next-generation rockets and spacecraft to those developed by commercial and other companies.