service module
noun
: a space vehicle module that contains oxygen, water, fuel cells, propellant tanks, and the main rocket engine
Examples of service module in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The service module is an expendable part of the Orion space ship that provides propulsion, electricity and atmosphere regeneration during the trip to the moon and back.
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Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Some early reports indicated that the fire started in the service module and then spread to the command module.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
The Orion service module, which contains the engines, propellant, water and experiments, will then separate from the crew module, exposing the capsule’s heat shield, which will protect the crew from the extreme temperature of re-entry.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
But when an explosion onboard the service module compromised the Apollo 13 mission and the safety of the astronauts, NASA’s priority shifted to getting their people home safely.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
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Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Some early reports indicated that the fire started in the service module and then spread to the command module.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
The Orion service module, which contains the engines, propellant, water and experiments, will then separate from the crew module, exposing the capsule’s heat shield, which will protect the crew from the extreme temperature of re-entry.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
But when an explosion onboard the service module compromised the Apollo 13 mission and the safety of the astronauts, NASA’s priority shifted to getting their people home safely.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for service module
Cite this Entry
“Service module.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20module. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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