The Orion crew capsule is about 16.5 feet (roughly 5 meters) in diameter and about 11 feet (roughly 3.3 meters) tall , which makes it significantly larger than the Apollo command module but still a relatively compact space for four astronauts.

Basic size and shape

  • Shape: Coneā€‘like ā€œfrustumā€ (bluntā€‘bottom cone), similar in style to Apollo but roomier.
  • Diameter: About 16.5 ft (5.03 m) at the base.
  • Height: Roughly 11 ft (3.3 m) for the pressurized crew portion.

Inside space (how roomy it feels)

  • Habitable volume: Around 316ā€“380 cubic feet , depending on source and configuration; thatā€™s roughly 1.5Ɨ the habitable volume of Apollo and similar to a small van.
  • Pressurized volume (total cabin): About 690 cubic feet when including nonā€‘liveable areas like equipment bays.

How it compares to Apollo

You can also think of it this way:

Feature| Orion capsule (approx.)| Apollo command module (approx.)
---|---|---
Diameter| 16.5 ft (5.03 m) 59| 12.8 ft (3.9 m) 48
Height (capsule)| 11 ft (3.3 m) 59| 10.8 ft (3.3 m) 8
Habitable volume| 316ā€“380 cu ft 125| ~200 cu ft 8
Crew| 4 astronauts 19| 3 astronauts 8

So in short: Orion is about the size of a large livingā€‘room or a small van ā€œon the inside,ā€ with a capsule thatā€™s roughly 16.5 feet wide and 11 feet tall.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.