This does not seem to fit well with the recent NASASpaceflight article where the integration of ESM3 seemed well under way.
Quote from: hektor on 03/31/2021 02:48 pmThis does not seem to fit well with the recent NASASpaceflight article where the integration of ESM3 seemed well under way.What NSF article are you referring to? As far as I can see the last NSF article about Orion status was from last November, which said exactly nothing about ESM3 integration.
Quote from: woods170 on 02/10/2022 08:26 amQuote from: hektor on 03/31/2021 02:48 pmThis does not seem to fit well with the recent NASASpaceflight article where the integration of ESM3 seemed well under way.What NSF article are you referring to? As far as I can see the last NSF article about Orion status was from last November, which said exactly nothing about ESM3 integration.You are answering to a post of mine from March 2021. So this was a NSF article from early 2021.
Cables, tie-wraps and no step!The third (pictured) and fourth European Service Modules are currently in production at Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany. They are a key element of the Orion spacecraft, the first to return humans to the Moon since the 1970s. These modules provide the spacecraft with propulsion, power and thermal control, and will supply astronauts with water and oxygen. The Orion spacecraft is composed of a European Service Module, a Crew Module Adapter and a Crew Module. The latter two components are provided by NASA. Powering flights to the Moon is a collaborative effort. The components and hardware used in the European Service Modules are built and supplied by more than twenty different companies from ten different countries in Europe. When ready for launch, each module will have a total mass of 13500 kg, almost two-thirds of which is propellant (rocket fuel). More than 11 km of cables are needed to send commands and receive information from the many on-board sensors. As can be seen in the photo, tie-wraps (yellow) come in handy when it comes to keeping all these cables organised. The first European Service Module is already attached to the Orion spacecraft and awaiting launch for Artemis I later this year. The second European Service Module has been formally transferred to NASA and is completing integration at the Operations and Checkout building at the Kennedy Space Center. It will be used on the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to fly all the way to the Moon in half a century. By delivering six European Service Modules, ESA is ensuring NASA’s Artemis programme continues to develop a sustainable presence on and around the Moon in international partnership. Learn more about Orion and Europe’s involvement here. Follow the latest updates via the Orion blog. Credits: ESA–A. Conigli
Nov 7, 2022After the uncrewed Artemis I test flight, the Artemis II mission will have astronauts demonstrate what the Orion spacecraft – powered by a European Service Module – can do on its voyage around the Moon.Two astronauts will fly on the second Artemis mission and take over controls to show how Orion handles close-quarter flying. While in Earth orbit the spacecraft will detach from its second stage, fly away, turn around, approach the second stage and then fly away again – all using the European Service Module’s 33 thrusters.Whereas in the first Artemis mission the second stage fired Orion into its lunar orbit, for the second mission it will be the European Service Module that will give the spacecraft its final push to its voyage around the Moon.The crew will fly Orion to 8889 km beyond the Moon before completing a lunar flyby and returning to Earth. The mission will take a minimum of eight days and will collect valuable flight test data.The European Service Module is one of ESA’s many contributions to NASA’s Orion spacecraft and the Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon and beyond. It provides electricity, water, oxygen, and nitrogen as well as keeping the spacecraft at the right temperature and on course.The European Service Module has 33 thrusters, 11 km of electrical wiring, four propellant, and two pressure tanks that all work together to supply propulsion and everything needed to keep astronauts alive far from Earth – there is no room for error.
The engine flew twice with the Challenger orbiter in April and July of 1985 in missions where experiments were performed in ESA’s Spacelab module. The engine’s third mission was 61-C in 1986 with the Columbia orbiter, a mission in which two future NASA administrators took part: Bill Nelson and Charles Bolden.
