Artemis II: ArianeGroup technology propelled the European Service Module to the Moon and back

Mission success for Artemis II. The crew aboard the Orion spacecraft has safely returned to Earth on 11 April 2026 after orbiting the Moon, the first human lunar flight in more than 50 years. On its 10-day journey, Orion’s crew module was propelled and supplied with energy and vital resources by the European Service Module (ESM), to which ArianeGroup has made significant contributions.

ArianeGroup is involved in the European Service Module (ESM) contracted by Airbus Defence and Space, the prime contractor for the module on behalf of European Space Agency (ESA). 

The key contributions of ArianeGroup propelled the Orion spacecraft’s crew module to the Moon thanks to the propulsion subsystems manufactured in Lampoldshausen, high-pressure helium tanks in Issac, propellant tanks and technical assistance in Bremen, avionics assistance and testing in Les Mureaux, and finally, the complete final assembly and testing of the module by ArianeGroup teams in the cleanroom at the Bremen site, for Airbus Defence and Space, the prime contractor for the European Service Module for ESA.

Behind these key technologies provided to the European Service Module, ArianeGroup demonstrates its ability to craft human-rated systems with chemical propulsion system, designed for long duration missions to Moon and Mars for example. Its equipment fulfil the extensive safety requirements for human-rated systems (redundancy, safety).

ArianeGroup teams built this heritage providing key components to the ATV (Automatic Transfer Vehicle to the ISS), ESA program. The propulsion elements are a critical component of the ‘motor’ and life support system of the ESM that carries the astronauts to the Moon and back aboard the crew module. The European Service Module (ESM) itself is separated from the crew module in Earth orbit. Only the crew module returns to Earth, the ESM is consumed during the reentry phase.

ArianeGroup, the industrial prime contractor for the European launcher Ariane 6 and the M51 strategic missile, has unique expertise in Europe in the field of spatial and orbital propulsion. These technological building blocks are essential in Europe.