After a failed attempt last Monday due to problems with one of the engines, NASA will attempt to launch Artemis I this Saturday from Cape Canaveral (Florida), an uncrewed test flight that will orbit the Moon for at least 26 days. If successful, increasingly complex missions will follow in the coming years that will return humanity to our natural satellite, this time for a permanent stay. But if setting foot on the lunar regolith for the first time was an exclusively American achievement, the return requires collaboration between countries. Inside the European service module to propel the Orion capsule, in which future crews will travel, is the Thermal Control Unit (TCU), a vital piece of equipment for the astronauts' survival that has been developed, manufactured, and tested by Airbus Crisa in the Madrid town of Tres Cantos. For Fernando Gómez-Carpintero, the company's general manager, this is a "fundamental" contribution. Related News standard Yes Snoopy, Legos, mannequins... what are the 54 kilos of gadgets that Artemis carries for? Judith de Jorge standard No NASA postpones the launch of Artemis, the first step towards going to the Moon, until Saturday ABC science -What does the Artemis program mean for Spanish industry? -An excellent opportunity. I am convinced that Artemis will mark a before and after. It will mark a generation, even more than the Apollo missions did. In Spain, where we have a complicated economic situation, this program will create highly qualified jobs, mobilize the industrial fabric and give us visibility. -What is the purpose of the unit manufactured by Airbus in Spain? -It controls the temperature and the supply of air and water in the Orion capsule. To do this, it has almost 300 sensors and supplies 1.4 kW of power, an amount similar to that needed to heat a small room in winter. We've delivered similar units for Artemis 2 (a crewed flight around the Moon), Artemis 3 (which includes a lunar landing), and an even more important contribution starting with Artemis 4, when the space station (Gateway) will be installed around the Moon. Now we want a permanent presence on the Moon, and we must arrive with all the systems that allow it. - What has been the greatest difficulty in developing the electronics? - Preparing for all the complexities of living in space: extreme temperatures, vacuum, radiation... When the missions are crewed, we will be responsible for the lives of human beings. We must guarantee that, in any scenario, we will be able to guarantee basic functionalities: controlling temperature, air supply, oxygen supply... - It represents a maximum demand. - A second challenge is physics. Access to space is complicated; we have to be very efficient in terms of mass. The International Space Station (ISS) is about 400 km high, the distance from Madrid to Valencia, but now we travel at 400,000 km and we must be much more efficient. The technology must be very compact and lightweight. Our unit weighs about 12 kilos and has a volume of 16 liters. The first launch attempt had to be canceled. Disappointing? I was present at Cape Canaveral. The conditions for the launch were not optimal. It's a small delay, but it doesn't affect the mission. For us, it increases the excitement and anticipation. You have to understand that Artemis I is a test flight. The objective is to test all the systems to safely send a crew on the next flight. Is everything correct for the Spanish team? Yes. The delay was not associated with Orion but with its launcher, the SLS rocket (Space Launch System). It is the most powerful in history, comparable to the Saturn V, which carried the Apollo missions. It is its first flight, and NASA engineers are still learning. It's important that Artemis I be successful and go well. That has influenced the decision to postpone. Will there be better luck this Saturday? Right now [the interview was conducted on Friday morning] the main uncertainty is the weather. There could be storms. There's a 60% chance that the launch window will open. All the technical glitches have been understood and shouldn't be a problem. The world is mired in great political and economic instability. Is this a good time to return to the Moon? I think so, because Artemis is an international collaborative effort, a joint adventure for humanity that gives us hope for the future. We can carry out high-impact missions together. Furthermore, all these technologies have direct applications in commercial programs, such as communications satellites. In Spain, we need those industrial capabilities, retaining engineers in our country... and for that, a program like Artemis is very interesting.
