European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications

<p>The European System Providing Refueling Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT) is an under construction module of the <a href="/facts/Lunar_Gateway/XExxjawm">Lunar Gateway</a>. It will provide refueling through additional xenon and hydrazine capacity for use in the <a href="/facts/Power_and_Propulsion_Element/b7HjJvWw">Power and Propulsion Element</a>'s <a href="/facts/Ion_engines/cjt6M89p">ion engines</a> and hydrazine thrusters. It will also provide additional communications equipment, a habitation area, and storage. It will have a launch mass of approximately 10,000 kg (22,000 lb), a length of 6.4 m (21 ft), and a diameter of 4.6 m (15 ft). <a href="/facts/European_Space_Agency/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a> awarded two parallel design studies for ESPRIT, one mostly led by <a href="/facts/Airbus/PSLf3cM8">Airbus</a> in partnership with <a href="/facts/Compagnie_maritime_d%2527expertises/g36hPB6U">Comex</a> and <a href="/facts/OHB/FuCSx32h">OHB</a> and one led by <a href="/facts/Thales_Alenia_Space/E7JMd8TL">Thales Alenia Space</a>. The construction of the module was approved in November 2019. On 14 October 2020, Thales Alenia Space announced that they had been selected by ESA to build the ESPRIT module.
</p><p>The module is currently slated to launch as a co-manifested payload on <a href="/facts/Artemis_V/QHBrKFI8">Artemis V</a> in 2030. 1.5 tons of cargo will be packed inside the module for launch.
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European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications open-in-new

European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications