Jay Clemens
Airbus‘ defense and space business has won a $485.7 million contract with the European Space Agency to develop and build the service module for the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft.
Airbus will design the module to be based on the automated transfer vehicle the company built for ESA as a supply craft for the International Space Station, Airbus said Monday.
The definition phase began after the ESA approved the system designs for the service module in May and is set to complete in November 2015.
Francois Auque, head of space systems at Airbus, said the company intends for the follow-on contract to deliver “space systems on time and within budget.”
The module will provide propulsion, power supply, thermal control and life support system of the U.S. capsule.
