Orion III

Orion III

"Abandon Ship" are two words you never want to hear on a space craft.  But if are unfortunate enough to hear them, there will probably be an Orion III capsule nearby to transport you to safety.

The Orion III is one of Centauri  Spaceworks core vehicles for transporting humans.  It is used as both a lifeboat and routine transport vessel for activities near HOM.  It is an Orion Capsule paired with a Heavy Tug, instead of the stock Orion Service Module.

The compact spacecraft size of the Orion III allows it to dock in locations where the traditional Orion service module's solar panels would get in the way.  It also requires a smaller rocket for launch, saving on costs.  Near HOM crew change missions can be done using a Mercury + Delta launch vehicle.  For installation, upgrading to a Titan + Delta II allows the Orion III to arrive at its destination with all or most of its fuel reserves.

Orion III sending a crew change to Xerces station

A test Orion III capsule was able to make a HOM to LUN to GRN to RED to LUN to HOM circuit and successfully splashdown on HOM.  Based on the usage during this test, the battery charge should last for approximately 25 minutes of game play time.  This allow enough time to travel  to HOM or the nearest station in the event of an emergency.