Orion capsule after its first real re-entry (EF-1 Dec. 5, 2014) heatshield removed
There is a 1 ½ hour video in Youtube which I have to link here since it contains collected material of Orion capsule's development and testing. I would call Orion just a (re-entry) capsule since a spacecraft is a much larger set and requires the propulsion to get it anywhere at all. Sure if just the gravity assisted space travel was applied .. one might go very far only with the capsule alone but to be more comfort with it there should be some kind of a propulsion reserve to make at least the final burn back to the Earth.
Dr. Michael Minovitch introduces in the following video the idea of a very fast and comfort ride everywhere in space. The spacecraft either accelerates or decelerates during the whole journey using 1 G which is natural and most comfort for human. The trajectories are straight lines between any points .. no orbits used. The idea needs of course very powerful fuel and proper fusion engine. But since the fusion is possible .. it most likely will also be available in some scale for humans in the future.
Here is the video:
Youtube video: "11.0 Ground-To-Orbit Fusion Propulsion System for Achieving Commercial Interplanetary Space Travel"
Some more pictures and videos about the Orion spacecraft cockpit. The basic layout seems to still be the 3 monitor flipped 4:3 size configuration seen in the following picture.
The Orion glass cockpit with 3 display screens.
The idea is to move all the millions switches and panels from old spacecrafts into the screens so that weight and space is saved. Also virtual buttons and switches are more reliable then old mechanical switches (remember the Apollo 11 Lunar Module incidence when a single switch almost disabled the ascent from the Moon). Here are some details what is known.
Orion cockpit, only a minimal amount of mechanical devices are added around the display screens
The several panels in the Apollo era LM and CM are replaced by screens with similar information.
Compare the large Apollo LM panel # 3 in this picture (among many other LM panels) with several functional sections to the current Orion design
Here is the Apollo 11 engine arm switch incidence from source /4/:
"Astronaut Neil Armstrong maneuvered toward the open hatch, aided by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. As Armstrong twisted his bulky suit to head out, unheard in the vacuum of the cabin, something small snapped. Armstrong's backpack had broken off the ascent engine arming switch. But upon their preparation to leave the moon some 21 hours later, Armstrong calmly flipped the broken stub with a ballpoint pen. Another crisis averted, this time courtesy of the Fisher Space Pen."
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