What is ESPRIT?

ESPRIT is the name for ESA’s elements for the Lunar Gateway, and part of Europe’s contribution to the creation of the international outpost orbiting the Moon. The name is an abbreviation of European System Providing Refueling Infrastructure and Telecommunication, that shows the variety of functions that ESPRIT provides to the lunar Gateway.

The Gateway will be a habitat, refueling and research centre for astronauts exploring our Moon as part of the Artemis programme.

The refueling and Infrastructure and the telecommunication functions are provided by two different elements that will reach Gateway at different times. The two elements are 

• The HALO-Lunar Communication System - a communication system installed on NASA’s Habitation and Logistic module (HALO). The HALO-Lunar Communication System will allow the Gateway to communicate with astronauts and rovers on the Moon’s surface, in orbit and when close to the Gateway
• The European Refueling Module - a habitable space for astronauts with cargo space and fuel tanks to store propellant for the Gateway.

The Gateway is the next structure to be launched by the partners of the International Space Station.

During the 2020s, the spaceship will be assembled and operated in the vicinity of the Moon, where it will move between different orbits and enable the most distant human space missions ever attempted.

Placed farther from Earth than the current Space Station the Gateway will offer a staging post for missions to the Moon and Mars. Its flight path is a highly-elliptical orbit around the Moon – bringing it both relatively close to the Moon’s surface but also far away making it easier to pick up astronauts and supplies from Earth – around a five-day trip.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on the Civil Lunar Gateway formalises European participation in the human lunar outpost.

Following the exemplary international collaboration that built and operates the International Space Station, partner space agencies around the world are joining forces to build an outpost farther afield, in orbit around the Moon. The Gateway is a NASA-led human outpost for science and refuge and the next step in exploring the Moon surface, and prepare us for the next big leap to Mars.

ESA’s contribution under this memorandum includes building the main habitat for astronauts when they visit the Gateway. Called I-Hab, the module will use environment and life-support systems provided by Japan’s space agency JAXA. A second contribution called Esprit, will supply enhanced communications, refuelling and a window somewhat like the European-built Cupola observatory on the International Space Station.

Transport to the Gateway will use NASA’s Orion spacecraft amongst others, for which ESA is building two European Service Modules.