service module

American  

noun

1. (often initial capital letters) the section of an Apollo spacecraft containing the principal propulsion system, electrical system, water, and other supplies.

---

service module British  

noun

1. a section of an Apollo spacecraft housing the rocket engine, radar, fuel cells, etc, and jettisoned on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere See also lunar module command module

---

Etymology

Origin of service module

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

service module

This summer, engineers plan to join Orion's crew module and service module and install the spacecraft's docking system, which will fly for the first time.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

Its service module, providing propulsion and power, was developed by the European Space Agency, with Airbus serving as lead contractor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

On arrival, the service module, which has the spacecraft's primary propulsion system, separates from the crew module.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025

The agency is also supplying the service module for the Orion crew capsule.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

Twenty-one hours on the surface of the Moon for two astronauts in the lunar lander, while the service module circled the heavenly body in a parking orbit.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly