lunar module

American  

noun

(often initial capital letter)

1. the portion of the Apollo spacecraft in which two astronauts landed on the moon's surface and then returned to the orbiting command module. LM

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lunar module British  

noun

1. the module used to carry two of the three astronauts on an Apollo spacecraft to the surface of the moon and back to the spacecraft

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Etymology

Origin of lunar module

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

He and John Young landed on the moon in 1972 in a lunar module that was known as Orion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Haise and Lovell worked frantically to boot up the lunar module, Aquarius.

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2025

The flagpole was long-since empty, but he could make out the pyramid shape of the Eagle, the lunar module that landed in 1969.

From Slate • Sep. 30, 2023

The crew aborted the planned moon landing and took refuge in the lunar module, Aquarius, using it for the journey back to Earth.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2023

There were many other emergencies in which the lunar module might find itself, and the command-module pilot’s job as rescuer was a very complex one.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Related Words

• capsule
• spacecraft
• spaceship