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Service Module
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Apollo 15 Command and Service modules, 1971 Apollo 13 Apollo 13; damaged service module
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Service Module

spacecraft
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Apollo 15 Command and Service modules, 1971
Apollo 15 Command and Service modules, 1971 Apollo 15 Command and Service modules in lunar orbit with the Moon's surface in the background, as photographed from the Lunar Module. The Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay can be seen on the front of the Service Module.

A service module is a component of a spacecraft that carries essential supplies and equipment for a mission. It typically houses oxygen, water, fuel cells, propellant tanks, and the main rocket engine. In the context of the Apollo program, the Service Module remained attached to the Command Module throughout the mission until the spacecraft prepared for reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The main engine of the Service Module was crucial for making midcourse corrections, entering lunar orbit, and departing from lunar orbit for the journey back to Earth. It also generated electricity and drinking water through fuel cells that used hydrogen and oxygen.12

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. service module
  2. Infographic: Spacecraft of the Apollo Program
  3. spaceflight - Kinds of spacecraft

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