ORION Project

The ORION Project was an ONI NavSpecWar program to produce UNSC NavSpecWar Marines to combat the Insurrection. They became experts in counter-insurgency operations, assassinations, raids, and eliminating high value targets (all considered black operations). UNSC NavSpecWar Marines utilized HEV orbital drops, Hornets, Armed Assault Boats (which were replaced by the HEV), and Pelican dropships to insert into mission areas.

Operations
ORION was behind many operations, including:


 * Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE
 * Operation: TANGLEWOOD
 * Operation: TREBUCHET

NavSpecWar Marines

 * Avery Johnson
 * Nolan Byrne

SPARTAN-I Program
The SPARTAN-I Program was the first and initial known phase of the Spartan program. Initiated in 2491, as an element and subdivision of the ORION project, not much is known about this first generation of warriors. The program was cancelled due to unknown circumstances, but it was successful enough to garner a second phase.

The original Spartan Project was created to test genetic enhancements on volunteers from the armed forces. . These enhancements were the precursors to the enhancements used in the Spartan-II program. The mortality rate for those injected was high, a factor which contributed largely to the failure of the program. Those who survived the injection(s) had a greatly increased rate of mental problems later in life. It is not known at this time how many soldiers participated in this program. However, it is mentioned that there are several offspring known as 1.1's, some of which may have been chosen for the Spartan-II program. The Spartan 1.0 do not wear armour apart from their battle suit.

Trivia

 * Project Orion was also a spacecraft program in the real world. It was the first engineering design study of spacecraft powered by nuclear pulse propulsion. Its supporters felt that it had great potential for space travel, but it lost political approval because of concerns with fallout from its propulsion. The Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 is generally acknowledged to have ended the project.