Artemis II Mission Concludes Successfully: ESA’s Service Module Powers Historic Lunar Voyage
On April 10, 2026, NASA’s Orion spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, marking the successful conclusion of the Artemis II mission with four astronauts aboard. This marked the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since 1972.
Crucially, ESA’s European Service Module (ESM) provided the essential power, propulsion, and life support systems that enabled Orion’s journey around the Moon and its safe return to Earth. The ESM’s sophisticated technology was integral to the mission’s success.
This achievement signifies a new era of international cooperation in deep space exploration and underscores the vital contribution of European technology to humanity’s continued expansion into space.