Built by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, for NASA’s Orion spacecraft, the fourth European Service Module (ESM-4) has begun its journey to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will undergo testing and integration with the Orion Crew Module there, as part of preparations for the Artemis IV mission.
Developed by Airbus under contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), this module will play a pivotal role in the next major phase of the Artemis programme, which aims to enable astronauts to live and work on the future Gateway lunar station. From this base, scientific experiments will be conducted and the next steps towards Mars will be planned.
Airbus has emphasised that delivering ESM-4 is an important step towards a new era of space exploration, in which Europe will play a decisive role in its collaboration with NASA.
The service module provides the Orion spacecraft with power, propulsion, water, oxygen and thermal control. Its four solar panels can generate over 11 kilowatts of electricity — enough to power two homes — and its 33 engines enable precise manoeuvres in space and provide the thrust needed to travel to the Moon.
A special function of the Artemis IV mission will be to transport and dock the International Habitability Module (I-Hab) to the Gateway lunar station. Through this collaboration, Europe is further solidifying its position as a key partner in humanity’s return to the Moon.
Image: Source. Airbus
