Installing propellant tanks in European Service Module-2

Fitting the tanks in the second European service module that will provide power, water, air and electricity to NASA’s Orion Moon module at the Airbus assembly hall in Bremen, Germany. 

The large tanks that will provide propellant for the spacecraft are now fitting snuggly inside the spacecraft. The four tanks will each contain about 2000 litres of propellant. In the vacuum of space there is no air to burn so spacecraft fuel tanks include oxidiser and fuel that are mixed to ignite and provide thrust.

The two sets of tanks are connected by intricate pipelines to 33 engines. Sensors and computers control the system.

The European Service Module is a small but complex spacecraft that is packed with equipment to keep astronauts alive and return them to Earth safely on trips around the Moon and more. The large tanks are installed as one of the last components to allow technicians more room to work.

More on Orion at esa.int/orion