Mars, here we come: Breaking down the most advanced spacecraft in human history

If the idea of deep space travel conjures up mental images of a winged shuttle — or simply a dusted-off Apollo capsule — your imagination could use a little recalibration.    

Not since the Moon landing have humans ventured beyond "Low Earth Orbit." That means, to travel beyond the Moon, considered by NASA to be "deep space," you'd need a spacecraft that builds on the best of previous space programs while developing new systems.     

Instead, you'd need something like NASA’s Orion spacecraft designed and built by Lockheed Martin.    

Through this partnership, Orion will transport the first crewed mission to deep space within a year or two, and one day, it will support the first human exploration mission at Mars.     Read more...