Photos: Inside Lockheed Martin's Space Projects Facility

Mock Orion Capsule

Lockheed Martin

At the Lockheed Martin facility in Littleton, Colorado, scientists and engineers are working on the software and computer hardware that will operate on NASA's Orion spacecraft. It's one of several space projects underway at Lockheed and we got a tour of the facility. Check out our photos inside Lockheed Martin's space projects site. HERE: The front end of a mock Orion capsule at the Lockheed Martin facility. The company is currently conducting tests for Orion's Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), when the spacecraft will fly (with no humans aboard) on a test flight around the moon.

Front of Mock Orion Capsule

Lockheed Martin

The front end of a mock Orion capsule at the Lockheed Martin facility in Littleton, Colorado.

Orbiting Lunar Habitat

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Another project Lockheed Martin is working on: an orbiting lunar habitat that would support four astronauts for 30 to 60 days. The company is in the early stages of researching such a habitat. Shown here, a mock up of the habitat.

Orbiting Lunar Habitat Mock-Up Interior

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Inside the orbiting lunar habitat mock-up built by Lockheed Martin. The hatch on the left would lead into the Orion spacecraft cockpit. The blue thing on the right is a sleeping bag. Food and other supplies would line the walls of the habitat.

Orbiting Lunar Habitat, Left

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Inside the orbiting lunar habitat. Lockheed Martin is in the early stages of researching and designing such a habitat. The hatch on the right would lead into the Orion spacecraft cockpit.

OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft at Lockheed Martin

Calla Cofield/Space.com

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, built at Lockheed Martin's Littleton, Colorado campus, will collect a sample from asteroid Bennu and return it to Earth. The spacecraft is kept in a clean room to reduce the risk of contaminating the asteroid sample with material from Earth.

OSIRIS-REx in the Clean Room

Calla Cofield/Space.com

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in the clean room at the Lockheed Martin facility. The spacecraft (with the silver cap) is set to launch in September.

Lockheed Martin Facility in Littleton, Colorado

Calla Cofield/Space.com

The Lockheed Martin facility in Littleton, Colorado, is nestled up against a small mountain range.

View from the Lockheed Martin Facility

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Looking down the mountain from the Lockheed Martin facility in Littleton, Colorado.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Calla Cofield
Senior Writer

Calla Cofield joined Space.com's crew in October 2014. She enjoys writing about black holes, exploding stars, ripples in space-time, science in comic books, and all the mysteries of the cosmos. Prior to joining Space.com Calla worked as a freelance writer, with her work appearing in APS News, Symmetry magazine, Scientific American, Nature News, Physics World, and others. From 2010 to 2014 she was a producer for The Physics Central Podcast. Previously, Calla worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (hands down the best office building ever) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California. Calla studied physics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is originally from Sandy, Utah. In 2018, Calla left Space.com to join NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory media team where she oversees astronomy, physics, exoplanets and the Cold Atom Lab mission. She has been underground at three of the largest particle accelerators in the world and would really like to know what the heck dark matter is. Contact Calla via: E-Mail – Twitter