Europe contributes vital parts for first crewed moon mission in half century

Record ID: 2372315

  • Title: Europe contributes vital parts for first crewed moon mission in half century
  • Date: 1st April 2026
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (APRIL 1, 2026) (REUTERS) ARRIVAL OF HEAD OF RADIATION BIOLOGY AT THE GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTRE (DLR), THOMAS BERGER BERGER OPENING SUITCASE AND UNPACKING RADIATION DETECTORS (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF RADIATION BIOLOGY AT GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTRE (DLR), THOMAS BERGER, SAYING: "This is a model of one of the four radiation detectors that will fly to the mo
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Artemis II DLR German Aerospace Center lunar mission moon mission
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Europe,Science,Space Exploration
  • Reuters ID: LVA001917201042026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: NASA is set to launch four astronauts as soon as Wednesday (April 1) evening on a 10-day flight around the moon, marking the most ambitious U.S. space mission in decades and a major step toward returning humans to the lunar surface before China's first crewed landing.
    NASA mission managers on Monday polled "go" to launch the Artemis II mission's towering, 322-ft (98-m) Space Launch System (SLS) rocket topped with the astronauts' Orion crew capsule as early as 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT) on Wednesday.
    Several vital parts for the Orion come from Europe, one the European Service Module, assembled in Bremen by Airbus Defence and Space. It serves as the propulsion module for the Orion spacecraft.
    "The European Service Module also supplies power to the crew capsule and stores oxygen and water for the astronauts on their journey. It also ensures that the temperature inside the capsule remains comfortable at all times,” said the coordinator for Artemis at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
    Another important 'made in Europe’ part and soon to leave earth are radiation detectors.
    "Ionising radiation in space is one of the limiting factors for long-duration space missions, as it can lead to an increased risk of cancer for astronauts,” said the head of radiation biology at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Thomas Berger, as he showed a model of the detectors.
    "These detectors measure radiation at four different locations in the Orion spacecraft to provide us with insights into the extent of this radiation environment within Orion."
    The launch had originally been planned for as early as February 6, and then March 6, until a pesky hydrogen leak prompted NASA to roll the rocket back to its vehicle assembly building for scrutiny.
    The Artemis II mission is a key early step in the agency's multibillion-dollar Artemis programme that envisions a long-term settlement on the lunar South Pole.
    NASA is pressing hard to land its first crew of astronauts there on the Artemis IV mission by 2028, before China does around 2030.
    (Production: Petra Wischgoll, Fabian Bimmer, Anna Dittrich)
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