Media invitation: Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon

The European Service Module (ESM) will propel NASA's Orion crew vehicle in space and will provide the four astronauts onboard with electricity, propulsion, drinking water, a breathable atmosphere and a comfortable temperature.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The test flight will help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration.

The mission relies on the European Service Module to provide the resources to keep Orion on track around the Moon and back to Earth. ESM is the powerhouse of the spacecraft - it provides in-space propulsion for orbital transfer, power and thermal control, attitude control and high-altitude ascent aborts.

This mission follows the success of the 25-day Artemis I mission, when Orion was propelled by the ESM's 33 engines beyond the Moon and into deep space, farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans and return them to Earth.

The European Space Agency manages ESM, built and designed by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, Germany, with hardware and contributions from across Europe.

Accreditation deadlines

• International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 30 November 2025 23:59 EST / 1 December 2025 05:59 CET.
• US media and US citizens representing international media must apply by 8 December 2025.

Media is requested to submit all accreditation requests online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

For more information, please refer to NASA's media accreditation policy. In case of doubt, please email: [email protected]

Please note that media badges are limited due to high interest. Accredited media will be able to attend launch activities and prelaunch events, including rollout of the rocket and spacecraft. Additional details will be provided later.

More information

www.esa.int/orion

https://blogs.esa.int/orion/
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/Orion_spacecraft

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int