Packing the European Service Module

The European Service Module that will power and propel the Orion spacecraft on its first mission around the Moon is prepared for shipping from Bremen to the United States. The ESM took off in an Antonov An-124 aircraft in the early hours of 5 November and arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA on 6 November.

ESA’s European service module will provide power, water, air and electricity to NASA’s Orion exploration spacecraft that will eventually fly beyond the Moon with astronauts. The European Service Module is now complete for Orion’s first mission that will do a lunar flyby without astronauts to demonstrate the spacecraft’s capabilities.

Learn more about Orion and Europe’s involvement here. Follow the latest updates via the Orion blog.