On Aug 23, 5:34*pm, Brian Thorn wrote:

Orion will transition into a deep-space-only role,

Just how deep into space can Orion go on its own (assuming appropriate
propulsion is provided)? To the Moon, sure. Maybe to EML-1/2 or even
a short asteroid excursion when the orbitology aligns, but it seems
considerably too small for a canonical Mars mission. And what about
life support in the many months to a couple of years range?

It seems that for missions that last more than a few months, a
separate habitation module would be needed, no?