service module

Definition of service module

: 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 spaceplane will spend approximately two months in orbit before jettisoning its service module and reentering Earth's atmosphere, gliding back to a landing zone under a parafoil. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Angara finally flies again, Falcon 9 customers embrace reuse," 18 Dec. 2020 The crew fired the service module engine, slowing the spacecraft down just enough to put it into orbit around another celestial body, another first. — Teasel Muir-harmony, Smithsonian Magazine, "How Apollo 8 Delivered Christmas Eve Peace and Understanding to the World," 11 Dec. 2020 Replacing this component is not easy, as it is located inside an adapter that connects Orion to its service module. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Billionaire backs Scottish spaceport, Relativity bags a bundle," 4 Dec. 2020 Launched as a single space craft, Chang'e 5 is actually composed of a lander, ascender, service module and return capsule. — Sam Mcneil, USA TODAY, "China's most ambitious moon mission yet attempts to bring back lunar rock," 23 Nov. 2020 The leak is localized in the working compartment of the service module. — Marcia Dunn, orlandosentinel.com, "International Space Station air leak forces middle-of-night crew wakeup," 30 Sep. 2020 Orion will be powered by a European service module largely built in Germany. — Alexander Stirn, Scientific American, "Do NASA’s Lunar Exploration Rules Violate Space Law?," 12 Nov. 2020 Controllers later found another software problem that could have caused the service module to collide with the crew capsule after separation, potentially endangering astronauts, if any had been on board. — Washington Post, "NASA’s new rocket would be the most powerful ever. But it’s the software that has some officials worried.," 31 Oct. 2020 Airbus has already been commissioned to develop a service module for Artemis’s Orion spacecraft, providing power and support to a crew module that’s being built by Lockheed Martin Corp. — Charlotte Ryan, Bloomberg.com, "European Moon-Lander Project Pits Airbus Against Thales," 14 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'service module.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Service module.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20module. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.