Gateway astronaut around the Moon

Animation showing a Gateway astronaut looking out of the Esprit module’s window at the Moon underneath.

On the Artemis V mission, Orion and its European Service Module-5 will tug Esprit to the Moon and dock with the Gateway, pushing Esprit into position.

The Esprit refuelling module is part of the Gateway’s core structure. The module is 4.6 m in diameter and 6.4 meter in length. It weighs around 10 tonnes on Earth filled with fuel.

The Esprit Refuelling Module (ERM) has four main functions: transport cargo to the station, provide storage space once docked at Gateway, provide fuel to propulsion system of Gateway (NASA’s Power and Propulsion Element), and provide a view of space and the Moon through its windows.

The ERM has two main structural elements: the pressurised tunnel where astronauts can float inside (the white cylinder pictured above) and an unpressurised element surrounding part of the pressurised hull.

More on the Artemis V mission here: www.esa.int/artemisV

More on Esprit for Gateway: www.esa.int/esprit