NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The Second European Service Module (ESM-2) Evolutions, Production and ChallengesThis paper presents an overview of the Second European Service Module (ESM-2), the second in a series of European Service Modules produced as part of the Barter agreement between NASA and ESA for the Orion Program. The European Industrial consortium is led by the ESA prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen. ESA and Airbus signed the ESM-2 contract on 16 February 2017, for this key element of the Orion Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2). EM-2 is the first crewed mission for Orion and will take astronauts farther into the solar system than humanity has ever travelled. EM-2 will also be a historic mission for Europe, as the ESM-2 will be the first European spacecraft to be part of a human transportation system carrying humans beyond low Earth orbit. ESM-2 is mainly a recurring production following ESM-1. Nevertheless, there are a number of important changes being implemented, for example, to incorporate upgrades to further enhance safety and reliability. The challenging delivery schedule for ESM-2 has driven the need to commence manufacturing prior to completion of the qualification on ESM-1. In addition, some requirement deviations and non-compliances approved for ESM-1 have resulted in modifications for ESM-2. In order to manage the competing constraints effectively, the ESM-2 Team has put in place a number of novel approaches to manage schedule, risk, and technical changes. Airbus has set up multi-functional teams according to an approach known as "Major Spacecraft Deliveries" consisting of quality assurance, engineering and procurement. The risk of starting manufacturing prior to qualification is managed through a special risk share agreement. This agreement necessitates rigorous risk reviews across the board for all manufacturing, assembly, integration and test milestones. The ESM-2 changes are managed by Configuration Management, but Airbus has also introduced the Technical Baseline Matrix to provide a transparent top-level overview of the changes from ESM-1 to ESM-2. The tool provides the basis for ESM-2 design and development needs, decisions, as well as the input for the Orion EM-2 Critical Design Review (CDR). The main technical evolutions, status of the production and the novel management approaches for ESM-2 are presented and discussed in the paper.
Document ID
20180007196
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Thirkettle, Anthony
(European Space Agency. European Space Research and Technology Center, ESTEC Noordwijk, Netherlands)
Hartwell, William
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Schulze-Varnholt, Dirk
(Airbus Defence and Space Bremen, Germany)
Monien, Georg
(Airbus Defence and Space Bremen, Germany)
Huermann, Brian
(Airbus Defence and Space Bremen, Germany)
Poornachandran, Siddharth
(Airbus Defence and Space Bremen, Germany)
Rauen, Lori
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
October 30, 2018
Publication Date
October 1, 2018
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
JSC-E-DAA-TN61230
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Astronautical Congress
Location: Bremen
Country: Germany
Start Date: October 1, 2018
End Date: October 5, 2018
Sponsors: International Astronautical Federation
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNJ06TA25C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Orion European Service Module Programme
No Preview Available