Airbus is shipping the fourth European service module for Artemis IV

• ESM-4 is ready to ship from Airbus in Bremen, Germany, to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for integration with the Orion Crew Module ahead of the Artemis IV mission.

• The European Service Module, built by Airbus for ESA, will help power and sustain astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on their journey to the Moon and the Lunar Gateway Station.

• The module provides propulsion, life support, power (11.2 kilowatts of solar arrays) and thermal regulation – with only 10 percent of the electricity used by the ESM itself.

The fourth European Service Module (ESM-4) is ready to leave Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany, and will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. When it arrives, it will be tested and integrated with the Orion Crew Module ready for the next phase of NASA’s Artemis program.

Built by Airbus under contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), ESM-4 will be a vital part of the Artemis IV mission that envisions astronauts living and working on humanity’s first lunar space station, Gateway, which will offer new opportunities for science and preparation for human missions to Mars.

“The delivery of the fourth ESM mission brings us one step closer to a new space age with a lunar space station and increased opportunities for scientific research in deep space,” said Ralph Zimmermann, Head of Space Exploration at Airbus. “Europe’s role, through ESA, is crucial in this pioneering NASA-led programme.”

“ESM-4 will play a key role as the Artemis IV mission is scheduled to deliver the International Habitation Module (Lunar I-Hab) for the Lunar Gateway Space Station. These state-of-the-art devices, developed by Airbus Defense and Space and its subcontractors across Europe, demonstrate our ability to contribute to major international partnerships,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director for Human and Robotic Exploration.

The ESM modules provide the engines, power, thermal control, and supply the astronauts with water and oxygen. The ESM is installed below the crew module and together they form the Orion spacecraft. Thales Alenia Space Italia provides the thermal control system to keep Orion’s crew modules at between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius by radiating excess heat out of the ship while also keeping the cold out.

The four solar arrays on Orion generate 11.2 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power two four-person homes on Earth. Only about 10% of the power is needed for the electronic control unit, with the remaining 90% going to the batteries and equipment in the crew module. The Artemis I mission demonstrated that solar panels were able to produce slightly more power than expected, and this additional power will come in handy as the Artemis program evolves.

The energy stored in the crew module batteries is key because it ensures that the Orion spacecraft has power even when the sun is obscured. The batteries also provide the power needed for safe return when the ESM separates from the crew module at the end of the mission.

To enable the astronauts to focus on more important tasks, the ESM’s on-board electronics, controlled by the crew module, provide a very high level of autonomy, such as temperature regulation and solar wing rotation to track the sun.

Orion has 33 engines on board the ESM to provide propulsion and maneuvering capabilities. The main engine, the Space Shuttle Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS-E) engine provided by NASA, generates 26.5 kilonewtons of thrust. This provides enough force to escape the Earth’s gravitational field and perform a translunar injection burn, reaching lunar orbit. Eight auxiliary thrusters serve as backup support for OMS-E and for orbital corrections. There are also 24 smaller attitude control engines in space, allowing the spacecraft to rotate or change its angle during docking maneuvers.