Paris, 3 Feburary 2021. – 3 + 3 = 6: The European Space Agency (ESA) contracted Airbus for the construction of another three service modules for NASA’s Moon spacecraft Orion, ESA said.
“With these European Service Modules – in addition to three already in production – ESA is ensuring NASA’s Artemis programme continues to develop a sustainable presence on and around the Moon in international partnership,” ESA said. The service modules will fly astronauts to the Moon.
The three modules will be integrated at Airbus in Bremen, Germany, with components and hardware built and supplied by companies from ten different European countries.
David Parker, ESA’s director of Human and Robotic Exploration, said: “This contract doubles Europe’s commitment to delivering the vital hardware to send humankind to the Moon on Orion. Together with the elements we are building for the lunar Gateway we are guaranteeing seats for ESA astronauts to explore our Solar System as well as securing employment and technological know-how for Europe.”
