At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, technicians with Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin welded together the first two sections of the Orion crew module for Exploration Mission-2, the first flight of Orion with astronauts which will carry them farther into the solar system than ever before. The crew module, or pressure vessel, is the primary structure that holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts will breathe and work in while in the vacuum of deep space and is the structure upon which all the other elements of Orion are integrated. It was designed specifically to withstand the harsh and demanding environment of deep space travel, while keeping the crew safe and comfortable. Learn more: NASA.gov/Orion #nasa #orion #em2 #mission #technology #engineering #lockheedmartin #spacecraft #spaceship #nola #michoud