The Airbus-built European Service Module stands as the core component driving NASA’s Artemis II, the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years. This module supplies propulsion, electricity, air, water, and thermal control to the Orion spacecraft and its four astronauts during their 10-day trip around the Moon.
Assembled in Bremen, Germany, by Airbus under an ESA contract, the service module features a main engine for major velocity shifts toward the Moon, eight auxiliary engines for trajectory adjustments and backups, plus 24 thrusters in six pods for precise orientation. Four solar arrays generate power equivalent to two households.
Following a successful uncrewed Artemis I test, this second module integrates contributions from 13 ESA member states, 20 contractors, and over 100 suppliers. It enables critical maneuvers, including the trans-lunar injection burn on mission day two, ensuring a safe return trajectory.
Engineers from ESA and NASA monitor operations closely, validating European technology in human deep-space flight for the first time.