- Technology from Austria is being used on NASA’s first crewed mission towards the Moon in more than 50 years.
- Vienna-based high-tech company TTTECH is supplying the core of the data network for NASA's Orion spacecraft and its European Service Module.
Vienna, Austria, April 2, 2026: Today, for the first time in 53 years, a crew has set off on a NASA Moon mission. The 10-day flight around the Moon is an important milestone in the international “Artemis” program, as it will be the first time after many years of development and testing that the Orion spacecraft and its launch system are in serial use. Products from TTTECH ensure the safety-critical data communication in all life support and control systems.
The launch of Artemis II is a very special milestone for TTTECH: “Artemis is our generation’s space program – it will bring humanity back to the Moon after more than 50 years, and, in the future, to Mars. It creates the basis for the commercial use of the Moon's resources. Fail-safe computer systems are a basic prerequisite for the success of the mission. We are incredibly proud to be able to contribute to this with other technology leaders from the US and Europe,” says Christian Fidi, General Manager TTTECH Aerospace.
The NASA Artemis program aims to take humanity back to the Moon and prepare for flights to Mars. In November 2022, the Artemis I mission successfully launched into space. This was the first time that NASA's Orion spacecraft and its European Service Module were used together and put through their paces in preparation for the first crewed flight, which is now taking place.
Artemis II will lay the foundation for the first Moon landing since the last Apollo mission in 1972, which is scheduled to take place in 2028 with Artemis IV. Then, for the first time in more than 50 years, humans will set foot on the Moon again – and that will only be the beginning of future research and exploration activities on the Moon.
Reliable data transmission for successful missions
The NASA Orion spacecraft is being built by the US company Lockheed Martin, the flight control system is being supplied by Honeywell Aerospace. TTTECH and Honeywell Aerospace have been working together successfully for decades. In Europe, TTTECH has been supporting the project partners of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus for many years in testing all data connections in the European Service Module and to the Orion spacecraft. TTTECH draws on more than 25 years of cross-industry experience in aerospace, industry, energy, and critical infrastructure, as well as in mobile machinery and automated driving.
Christian Fidi explains why fail-safe data communication and robust electronics are so important:
"In space, there is no roadside assistance service, and there aren’t any maintenance facilities. Electronic systems must be designed and secured in such a way that they not only function flawlessly for decades but can also withstand radiation in space. We have been able to develop our solutions and bring them to market thanks to Austria's ESA contributions and the support of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Today, they are used in all modules of the Lunar Gateway and beyond – thus, the Austrian space industry is also making an important contribution to the future of human spaceflight."
Further information
• Artemis III: Testing the integrated operations between the Orion spacecraft and the commercial landers
• Artemis IV: First Moon landing in the NASA Artemis program
• NASA’s Artemis II image library
