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Artemis II: splashdown

Written by  Friday, 10 April 2026 23:51

Today, at 17:07  local time  on 10 April  (01:07  BST/02:07 CEST  11 April), NASA’s Orion spacecraft and its crew splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, marking the end of the Artemis II mission. ESA’s European Service Module powered this historic mission that took four astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Orion and its European Service Module bringing the crew around the Moon and back to Earth
Orion and its European Service Module bringing the crew around the Moon and back to Earth

The European Service Module supplied air and potable water for the astronauts, generated electrical power through its four solar arrays, provided thermal control in the harsh environment of space, and propelled Orion over 1 million km through deep space. Mostly built by European industry under ESA leadership, the European Service Module was assembled by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen, Germany, with contributions from companies across 13 European countries, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 European suppliers.


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