The goal of Artemis is to ‘lead an innovative and sustainable exploration program with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion throughout the solar system and bring new knowledge and opportunities back to Earth’”
When NASA announced the launch of the Artemis programme in 2017, the iconic words with which President Kennedy summarised Apollo — “We choose to go to the Moon. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard” — once again became the foundation of ambitions that, as then, seem extraordinary.
Apollo clearly demonstrated the importance of investing in such programmes—not only because of their multiplier effect on investment (estimated at nearly eightfold), but also due to their role in driving innovation leadership in a geostrategic domain such as Space and transforming the entire industrial fabric.
Artemis, however, is not an exclusively US project, as Apollo initially was, but rather the consolidation of a new cooperative model. It brings together more than 30 countries and hundreds of companies worldwide.
The journey from 2017 to the upcoming Artemis II mission—the programme’s first crewed flight—has been gradual and extraordinarily complex.
Artemis I, launched in November 2022, marked the first major milestone: an uncrewed mission that tested the performance of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts beyond Earth orbit. Over 25 days, the mission successfully demonstrated, among other aspects, the robustness of both SLS and Orion in the lunar environment, as well as the reliability of re-entry at speeds exceeding 40,000 km/h.
From that point onward, an extensive phase of review, validation, and system upgrades began—typical of any human spaceflight programme—bringing us closer to Artemis II. This mission will consist of a lunar flyby without landing, yet its importance is critical: it will mark the first time since 1972 that humans travel so far from Earth, and the first real operational test of all Orion life-support systems.
Why Return to the Moon? The next giant leap for Humanity
The Artemis mission architecture is based on the principle of “living off the land”: using lunar ice to produce water and oxygen, and lunar regolith to build shelters. Artemis II will be the first crewed mission of this new era to orbit the Moon, validating the life-support systems that will soon enable humans not only to return—but to remain—on the lunar surface.
The aim of the Artemis missions is to learn how to “live off the land””
Artemis II making history again
Day 1:
Following separation from the launch vehicle, the priority is deploying the solar arrays to generate power. Shortly afterwards, astronauts will take manual control of the spacecraft to perform a proximity operations demonstration, piloting the 25-tonne vehicle to validate its manoeuvrability in space.
Days 2 to 5:
During the outbound journey, the crew will conduct medical and emergency simulations. By day five, the Moon’s gravitational influence becomes dominant, indicating entry into its sphere of influence.
Day 6:
The spacecraft will pass behind the Moon, temporarily losing communications with Earth. At this distance, the Moon will appear through the window as a basketball-sized object within reach.
Days 7 to 10:
During the return journey at speeds approaching 40,000 km/h, the crew will rehearse procedures to shelter from potential solar flares using onboard equipment.
Day 10:
Before atmospheric re-entry, the service module separates. The Orion capsule endures temperatures up to 2,500°C before deploying parachutes and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
Humanity is once again venturing beyond Earth’s orbit”
Installed in the European Service Module—ESA’s key contribution to Orion—these units continuously regulate internal temperatures against the extreme conditions of deep space, reaching as low as −270°C. Despite weighing only 11 kg, the system controls 140 heaters, 12 valves, a coolant pump, 250 temperature sensors, and 50 pressure and level sensors, ensuring a habitable environment for the crew.
This contribution marks a milestone for Spain, as it is the first time a Spanish company provides a critical onboard element for a US human spaceflight mission.
In addition to Airbus Crisa, other Spanish companies such as HV Sistemas and GMV have played key roles. HV Sistemas has developed test benches for the Consumables Storage Subsystem (CSS) of the European Service Module and supplied equipment for both unit-level and system-level testing of the TCU and thermal control systems.
GMV has contributed to requirements definition and systems engineering, including the development of mission anomaly management tools—essential for detecting and resolving in-flight issues.
Spain, through the expertise of companies such as Airbus Crisa, HV Sistemas, GMV, and ALTER has demonstrated that its industry is at the forefront of this new era”
GMV also trained astronauts in Houston on ESA’s EveryWear system and will support real-time mission operations from ground control.
ALTER has contributed directly to this mission through its involvement in the European Space Module, taking responsibility for the supply of critical electronic components, as well as the related engineering activities and laboratory testing programmes. This work has been essential to meeting the strict quality and reliability requirements for space systems designed to carry people.
