Orion Mission Animation

NASA signed an agreement in mid-December for the European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a service module for the Orion spacecraft's Exploration Mission-1 in 2017.

When the Orion spacecraft blasts off atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket in 2017, attached will be the ESA-provided service module -- the powerhouse that fuels and propels the Orion spacecraft.

"Space has long been a frontier for international cooperation as we explore," said Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for Exploration System Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This latest chapter builds on NASA's excellent relationship with ESA as a partner in the International Space Station, and helps us move forward in our plans to send humans farther into space than we've ever been before."

The agreement primarily maps out a plan for ESA to fulfill its share of operational costs and additional supporting services for the International Space Station by providing the Orion service module and necessary elements of its design for NASA's Exploration Mission-1 in 2017.

[BeautifulRhodeIsland]

Great animation..I can't wait for Orions time to shine...