For over fifty years,
we've been inspired by these iconic images
of the first humans to walk on the Moon.
Now the European Space Agency and NASA
are working together on a modern-day version
of the Apollo programme.
Called Artemis,
it will put astronauts back on the lunar surface.
The Apollo missions have mainly landed in
the illuminated equatorial area of the Moon,
but there are much more interesting areas
to be explored,
like the poles
and like the dark side of the Moon.
The today most visible European contribution to lunar
exploration programmes
is the ESA-developed Service Module,
the propulsion and power module of the Artemis
crew module.
The European Service Module, or ESM,
is the heart of the Artemis spacecraft.
It will provide electricity, water and air
to NASA's Orion crew capsule,
as well as maintaining temperature for life support.
Its engines will provide propulsion and navigation
control
for the journey to the Moon and back.
ESA's industrial partner Airbus
has already built two service modules for Orion
with hardware from companies throughout Europe.
Now they've signed a contract with ESA to
develop a third module.
Artemis 3 will see a woman and a man walk
on the lunar surface
continuing where the Apollo programme left
off, almost half a century ago.
We have companies in ten countries helping
to put this ESM together
and actually there are hundreds and thousands
of people working within Airbus
but also in our partner companies
to make this endeavour a successful mission.
This lunar spacecraft comprises ESA's ESM1
and NASA's Orion crew capsule.
Having recently completed space simulation
tests at NASA's Plum Brook Station in Ohio,
it will be used for an uncrewed certification flight
performing a six-day orbit around the Moon.
This first, joint step towards revisiting
the lunar surface
will continue the long-standing tradition
of international co-operation in space.
Space is one of the best examples of international
co-operation
in terms of science and technology.
Our ISS is a multinational project,
and we've seen a lot of projects there
that really bring together the whole community
in terms of space and exploration
and to do this work together as scientists
working on the same aim,
working for mankind.
The next two flights of the Artemis programme
will be crewed lunar missions
with power, propulsion and life support
also provided by the second and third European
Service Modules.
The Moon is really our eighth continent
and it's there to be discovered.
Astronauts, engineers and scientists are very
excited to go to the Moon
because it's pure exploration,
it's discovering Terra Incognita,
we would go to regions that had never been
explored by a human
neither robotically nor in person.
The first European Service Module will soon
be on its way to the Moon
Artemis 1 is scheduled for launch in late 2021.
It will mark the beginning of this ambitious programme
to explore the Moon and beyond
highlighting ESA's ability to deliver critical components
based on proven technology.
