Subjecting polar linear molecules to appropriately designed half-cycle electromagnetic pulses induces strong orientation of the molecules. This is deduced by inspecting the quantum dynamics within a simplified model which yields analytical conditions for the parameters of the pulses that lead to strong molecular orientation sustainable for hundreds of picoseconds. These analytical predictions are largely confirmed by a full numerical time-dependent study of the orientation process for NaI molecules. Further strategies for increasing and maintaining the molecular orientation are proposed and numerically illustrated. Our fine-temperature calculations demonstrate that the molecular orientation persists at considerable temperautres.