Jeff Findley wrote on Mon, 1 Apr 2019
08:23:18 -0400:

In article ,
says...
Launch Orion uncrewed on Delta IV Heavy. Launch the crew in a Dragon 2
or Starliner and have them dock with Orion before heading off to the
moon. This eliminates the need to crew rate Delta IV Heavy or Falcon
Heavy.


So now you need 3-4 launches and on-orbit assembly to get the job
done.

You need docking, that's routine.


But not with any of the pieces we're talking about using.


It's worth noting that Falcon Heavy can't (easily) launch Orion anyway
due to the fact that Orion has to be vertically integrated.


I don't see why this would be a problem.

It surely could be solved, with enough money. The devil is in the
details though. I've been told Orion and its service module can't be
horizontally integrated. Doubly so for the monster of an escape tower
(which wouldn't be needed if you launch Orion uncrewed).


I still don't see the problem. You integrate it like every other
payload on Falcon Heavy; vertically on the center core.


--
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
--George Bernard Shaw