ESA chief express excitement on Artemis I development; hails partnership with NASA

The Director-General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, expressed his excitement over the ongoing pre-launch tests of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The SLS will launch to the Moon later this year, mounted with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft. Notably, Orion will be equipped with a Service module, which is a contribution of ESA and will help the spacecraft complete its journey to the Moon and back. 

In a couple of tweets, Aschbacher said that ESA is overseeing the development of the service module which would be as important as an engine is for a train. “NASA’s decision to cooperate with ESA on a critical element for the mission is a symbol of trust and confidence in ESA’s capabilities. With every step closer to launch, the excitement builds! We are so thrilled to create history with NASA and go Forward to the Moon”, the ESA head wrote on Twitter. 

ESA’s Service Module

The service module is what would provide Orion with electricity, water, oxygen and nitrogen and maintain the capsule temperature and course to the Moon. While Orion has a total weight capacity of 20 tonnes, the service module will weigh around 15,300 kg during lunar missions. According to ESA, the uncrewed spacecraft will be loaded with 8,600 kg of usable propellant, 240 kg of water, 30 kg of nitrogen and 90 kg of oxygen when it launches with astronauts in the future. 

(Service module under assembling process; Image: ESA)

The service module is also equipped with solar panels spanning 19 metres and they will be deployed once Orion is jettisoned from the SLS rocket fairing above the Earth’s atmosphere. Notably, the service module will burn up during reentry before Orion’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

When would the Orion launch?

If everything goes according to the plan, meaning the SLS rocket’s “wet dress rehearsals” end on schedule, the Orion might be launched under Artemis I mission in August. The tests SLS is currently undergoing involve loading the rocket with 7,00,000 gallons of propellant and conducting a full launch countdown for Artemis I, the first of the Artemis Program which aims to land humans back on the Moon. 

(Mission profile; Image: ESA)

As for Orion, it is also being tested while being integrated into SLS and will be sent to the farthest orbit around the Moon. According to the mission profile, Orion, after arriving near the Moon, will use lunar gravity to propel itself 70,000 km beyond the Moon. The mission duration of Artemis I has been planned between 20-40 days, depending on the number of flybys performed by Orion and the availability of daylight hours for the capsule splashdown.