The European Service Module is monitored throughout the Artemis II mission by European engineers from ESA, Airbus, and Thales Alenia Space.
Here, we see part of the team in the Orion mission evaluation room at ESA’s technical site in the Netherlands, also known as the Eagle room. They keep a watchful eye on the module, in tandem with the team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
The European Service Module is the powerhouse of the Orion spacecraft, providing air and potable water for the astronauts, thermal control, generating electrical power with its four solar arrays, and propelling Orion through deep space with its 33 engines.
The module is the product of a vast industrial effort. Built by European industry led by ESA, the European Service Module was assembled by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, with contributions across 13 European countries involving 20 main contractors and over 100 European suppliers.