The second European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft is on its way to USA. It is the last stopover on Earth before this made-in-Europe powerhouse takes the first astronauts around the Moon on the Artemis II mission.

An Antonov aircraft sent the module across the Atlantic in a custom-built container from Bremen, Germany, on 13 October.

The Antonov 124 takes off from Bremen with the second European Service Module. Credits: ESA–A. Conigli

After a long night of loading operations, the second European Service Module sat in the belly of the huge Antonov aircraft for its last trip on Earth, from Bremen to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here are some pictures of the whole process.

Credits: ESA–A. Conigli

ESM-2 departs from Brement. Credits: ESA–A. Conigli
ESM-2 departs from Brement. Credits: ESA–A. Conigli
Credits: ESA–A. Conigli
ESM-2 departs from Brement. Credits: ESA–A. Conigli

It took a heavyweight champion in the world of aircraft to deliver the European Service Module to NASA. Check out the size of the An-124 plane compared to the ‘follow me’ van during departure at Bremen airport.

Credits: ESA


The Antonov aircraft made a stopover in Hamburg for refuelling before the trans-Atlantic voyage to the US.

Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second European Service Module (ESM-2) will be connected to the crew module. Together they form the Orion spacecraft.

The service module is a critical element for Orion – it provides propulsion, power and thermal control and will supply astronauts with water and oxygen. Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Full Moon schedule

The Kennedy Space Center is humming with lunar activity this week. For the first time, three Orion spacecraft will be there at various stages of assembly and integration.  

The first Orion spacecraft will be integrated on top of the Space Launch System rocket in its final preparations for the uncrewed Artemis I mission. The European Service Module will take the spacecraft more than 64 000 km beyond the Moon in a test flight to demonstrate its capabilities.

Two arrivals mark the lunar week on site. While ESM-2 will undergo extensive testing before integration with the launcher, the main pressure vessel for Artemis III will be there too. This mission will see the first woman and next man setting foot on the Moon.

In Europe, the third European Service Module is at the start of its integration phase where equipment dummies, brackets and harness will be added to the structure. ESA is delivering up to six modules to NASA, with three more currently under negotiation for the lunar Gateway.