Stop at ESTEC in Noordwijk
On 13 July, the four astronauts assigned to the Artemis II flight arrived at ESTEC, the European Space Agency's technical hub located in the Netherlands. Their appearance marked the first leg of a sequence of visits through which the crew intends to meet the European groups whose work enabled the mission's success.
A highlight of the schedule was a walkthrough of the Eagle mission control room. Throughout Artemis II, engineers from ESA and Airbus used that facility to track the European Service Module without interruption. Inside the control room, the visitors greeted several ESA experts who had assisted their journey from the ground.
- First destination of a post-flight European tour
- Meeting with the team operating the European Service Module
- Tour of the Eagle control room at ESTEC
The programme of meetings with European partners is meant to acknowledge joint efforts across agencies and to strengthen ties between flight crews and support staff. ESTEC serves as the primary site where the ESA develops and tests its space hardware.