ESA delivers again: ESM-3 departs for US to power Artemis III 

ESA’s third European Service Module (ESM-3), for NASA’s Artemis III mission, has departed from the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany, and will soon leave Europe on its way to the United States. This marks a critical milestone in Europe’s continued contribution to humankind’s return to the Moon.

Manufactured in Italy, assembled in Germany, and built with components sourced from over 20 companies across more than 10 European countries, ESM-3 embodies the spirit of international collaboration. The module will now make its way to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center port aboard the transport ship Canopée, a journey that will take approximately 12 days across the Atlantic Ocean.

The European Service Module is an essential component of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, providing power, propulsion and life-support systems for astronauts during their deep space missions. This marks the third such module delivered by ESA, following the successful Artemis I mission and the ongoing preparations for Artemis II.

The journey of ESM-3 began in Turin, Italy, at Thales Alenia Space, where the module’s structural backbone was constructed. This complex structure supports 11 km of wiring, 33 engines, four tanks of propellant and solar arrays that can generate enough electricity to power two households.

Following assembly in Bremen, the module’s main engine—an engine with a legacy of nine Space Shuttle missions—was installed earlier this year.

Upon arrival at Kennedy Space Center, ESM-3 will be integrated with the Crew Module Adapter and the Crew Module itself. Rigorous testing will follow to ensure that everything is ready for the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era.

This departure represents a key step in ESA’s partnership with NASA, demonstrating Europe’s commitment to advancing human exploration beyond Earth.

For more information and images, please visit https://photolibrary.esa.int/home-page/.

More Information

ESA Web Article: Europe delivers for Artemis III

Learn more about ESA here: https://www.esa.int/

Sources:

Images

European Service Module 3 (ESM-3) at Airbus in Bremen

ESA’s Photo Library for Professionals:

https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/

Terms and conditions for using ESA images

Videos

European Service Module 3 Videos and B-Rolls 

ESA’s Video Library for Professionals:

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int