In mid‑July 2026 the crew of Artemis II — NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, together with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — visited the European Space Agency’s technical centre ESTEC in Noordwijk. On site they met with the team responsible for the European Service Module (ESM), which supports the Orion crew capsule with propulsion, power, thermal control and consumables. The visit aimed to fine‑tune technical interfaces and operational procedures ahead of the crewed flight to the Moon.
Direct insights into the Service Module
The visit went beyond formalities. The crew received briefings on the ESM’s design and functionality, including how subsystems interact, the module’s operating modes and procedures for launch, transfer manoeuvres and return. Walk‑throughs of assembly and test areas and practical demonstrations helped create a shared situational picture for the astronauts, engineering teams and ground personnel.
Role of the ESM for Orion
The ESM provides electrical power via solar arrays, performs propulsion manoeuvres, manages thermal control and supplies consumables. Without this module, a crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit would be difficult to achieve. The European industry contribution thus delivers a core system capability across the mission lifecycle — from energy provision to safe trajectory control.
Exchange on equal footing
The crew focused on emergency procedures, manual interventions, diagnostic interfaces and expected operational conditions. Conversely, the ESM team gathered user‑perspective feedback on ergonomics and accessibility. Such exchanges strengthen shared understanding of priorities and decision paths.
International cooperation
Jeremy Hansen’s participation underscores the international character of the Artemis programme. The ESM represents a tangible European contribution to the US‑led lunar initiative. The collaboration links institutions and companies across borders and supports the development of skills, supply chains and standards in the space sector.
Links to Earth observation and climate
Technologies developed for the ESM — such as energy and thermal management, robust avionics and reliable platform architectures — are transferable to Earth observation and environmental satellites. Experience with redundancy, long‑duration operation and deep testing can improve availability and lifetime of climate and weather satellites, strengthening the data foundation for environmental and climate applications.
Next steps
Following integration, extensive test campaigns will take place: functional tests, environmental testing in vacuum and thermal chambers, and simulation‑based training for mission procedures and contingency scenarios. Final integration of Orion and the ESM and the approvals required before transport to the launch site are the next milestones.
Importance for mission preparation
The meeting highlights the value of direct interaction between crew, ground teams and industry for system safety, operational efficiency and coordinated mission readiness.