The Orion spacecraft may only be the size of two minivans on the inside — but for the Artemis II astronauts, the capsule taking them to the vicinity of the moon has already proved to be larger than life.As the backdrop of many unforgettable moments of life on board, including the quirky and the breathtaking, the spacecraft — nicknamed Integrity by NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen — is becoming its own character in the story of humanity’s return to the moon for the first time in more than half a century.The crew capsule is vastly improved compared with its Apollo equivalent, the Command Module, with about 60% more habitable space and amenities such as a toilet and exercise machine.(From left) Artemis II’s Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover take interviews from the Orion capsule in outer space. – NASABut even with 50 years of more advanced technology factored in, the spacecraft is still essentially a basic habitat that’s designed with efficiency, not comfort, in mind.AdvertisementAdvertisementLuckily, we’re able to witness quite a bit of what happens onboard, as the spacecraft is equipped with 32 camera and devices, 15 of which are mounted on the capsule itself, and 17 of which are handheld and operated by the crew.Sleeping upside downOnce Orion reached Earth orbit after launch, two of the crew seats, as well as the footholds of the other two seats, were stowed away and will remain that way until reentry at the mission’s end. This gives the crew a bit more space, but it doesn’t make the interior of the capsule less cluttered, with wires, screens, instruments, cupboards and a multitude of Velcro-equipped pockets and bags to keep stuff from flying around.Artemis II sleeping bags are illuminated inside the Orion spacecraft on Flight Day 5 of the mission. – NASAForget the aesthetics of “2001: A Space Odyssey” — Orion …
