Over the past few days at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers have connected the third European Service Module to the Crew Module Adapter, forming the complete Service Module which will propel Orion towards the Moon and provide oxygen and water for astronauts during the Artemis III mission.

This assembly process involved carefully suspending the Crew Module Adapter while lifting the European Service Module very slowly, stopping regularly to check the alignment using precise laser measurements. The European Service Module is placed on a mobile platform that allows engineers to accurately move the precious module with six degrees of freedom – x, y, z and three rotations – to ensure an exact alignment. Once the modules are ready to be fastened, engineers install 192 screws one by one all around the modules. Some of these fastenings are particularly challenging to reach, requiring special precautions like foil to prevents parts from falling into the module underneath.

Now that the modules are connected, the next steps in the journey to Artemis III include welding operations to connect the systems that will provide breathable air, water and temperature inside the spacecraft and testing that these systems are leak-proof and securely connected. Next year, the Crew Module and solar array wings will be attached to the Service Module, forming the complete Orion spacecraft.

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