ESA’s fourth European Service Module (ESM-4) is set to depart from Airbus in Bremen, Germany, beginning its transatlantic journey to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This module is the powerhouse for NASA’s Orion spacecraft on the Artemis IV mission, providing critical life support including electricity, water, air, and thermal control for the crew.
Upon arrival, engineers will integrate the European Service Module with the Orion crew module and its large European-built ‘X-wing’ solar arrays, completing the Orion spacecraft assembly. The Artemis IV mission is pivotal, as it will also deliver ESA’s Lunar I-Hab habitation module to lunar orbit. There, Lunar I-Hab will connect with NASA’s Gateway modules, forming the core of the international Gateway station, a new human outpost around the Moon.
The development of the European Service Module is a major collaborative endeavour, uniting engineers from over 20 companies across 10 European nations. The module’s journey began with its backbone structure being built in the cleanrooms of Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. This structure was then transported to Bremen for extensive integration, where teams installed 11 km of wiring, 33 engines, and tanks holding over 8000 litres of fuel and consumables.
During the mission, after Orion launches, the European Service Module will perform critical maneuvers. It will turn the spacecraft around and dock with the Lunar I-Hab module before propelling the combined vehicle to the Gateway. This will mark the first time a crew visits the station. The addition of Lunar I-Hab will significantly expand the Gateway’s living space, enabling crews of four to conduct long-duration missions of up to 90 days in lunar orbit, supporting both orbital research and surface exploration.
