N° 30–2018: Call for media: The European Service Module meets Orion

For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space.

Made in Europe, the service module was integrated in Bremen, Germany, from where it will be shipped to the US on 5 November to be tested and prepared for launch. The module is built by main contractor Airbus, with components supplied by companies all over Europe.

"The first European Service Module is about to leave Europe. The shipment from Bremen to Florida is just the beginning – the first leg of an exciting journey that will boost the spacecraft to lunar orbit and back," says Philippe Deloo, programme manager of the Orion European Service Module. ESA has designed and is overseeing the development of Orion’s service module.

The completion of the service module in Europe signifies a major milestone in the journey toward human exploration missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

At Kennedy, the service module will be mated with the Orion crew module and its adapter in preparation for Exploration Mission-1 – a test flight without astronauts that will travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has ventured.

Programme

The eventon 16 November willstart at 09:00 EST (15:00 CET). NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and ESA Director General Jan Wörner will discuss with media the international cooperation needed to send humans to the Moon and Mars.

 

Following remarks, media will have the opportunity to tour Kennedy facilities to get a glimpse of the work under way to prepare for the first launch of Orion aboard NASA’s Space Launch System.

For more information about Orion, visit: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Orion

Media accreditation

Non-US media must apply for accreditation by 31 October at https://media.ksc.nasa.gov/

Follow online

The event will be streamed live on NASA Television at 15.00 CET on 16 November: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

 

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. Slovenia is an Associate Member.

ESA has established formal cooperation with six 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.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space. ESA also has a strong applications programme developing services in Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: +33 1 53 69 72 99