Artemis II lunar mission: The Astronauts thank ArianeGroup’s Teams

Just a few months ago, they were nearly 400,000 kilometres from Earth. Now, the four Artemis II astronauts are visiting ArianeGroup’s Bremen site to personally thank the ArianeGroup and Airbus Defence and Space teams for their outstanding work on the European Service Module (ESM).

Images of the four Artemis II astronauts returning to Earth on 11 April 2026 captured the world’s attention. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen were the first humans to journey back to the Moon in more than 50 years. ArianeGroup played a key role in the success of the historic nine-day cislunar mission, carrying out extensive work on behalf of Airbus Defence and Space, prime contractor for the European Service Module (ESM), which provides propulsion and life support for the Orion crew capsule.

Four months later, the astronauts travelled to Bremen to recognise that contribution in person. During their visit on 14 and 15 July, they paid tribute to the exceptional work carried out by the ArianeGroup teams on the ESM.

After a press conference attended by Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Dorothee Bär (CSU), Germany’s Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space, the astronauts spent time with employees at the site, sharing stories from the mission and hearing first-hand from the teams responsible for manufacturing such a critical module.

The astronauts expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the employees and their families for the outstanding work behind the ESM.

“The most important thing for us was to return safely to our families,” Reid Wiseman told the employees. “And thanks to you, we did. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

The rest of the crew were also full of praise for the teams. “It was a pleasure to fly with the ESM,” Christina Koch and Victor Glover said in unison. “It performed brilliantly — even better than in the simulator!”

Dorothee Bär, Germany’s Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space, was equally enthusiastic: “Congratulations to everyone who gave their all, day after day, to make the Orion-ESM mission possible. This success shows that Germany and Europe are reliable partners in humanity’s return to the Moon.”

ArianeGroup’s key contributions to the European Service Module (ESM) for the Orion spacecraft and the Artemis programme include:

• Propulsion systems manufactured in Lampoldshausen
• High-pressure helium tanks manufactured in Issac
• Propellant tanks and technical support in Bremen
• Avionics support and testing in Les Mureaux
• Final assembly of the ESM on behalf of, and under the direction of, Airbus Defence and Space, ESA’s prime contractor for the ESM