The NASA Apollo Service Module played an integral role in the historic Apollo program, which landed astronauts on the Moon. This spacecraft component provided essential functions during the Apollo missions, offering life support, propulsion, and electrical power.
The Service Module was part of the Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM), which consisted of two segments: the Command Module, where astronauts lived and returned to Earth, and the Service Module, which supported the Command Module. The Service Module housed the main engines for lunar orbit insertion and trans-Earth injection, as well as fuel cells that generated electricity and drinking water.
During lunar missions, the Service Module remained in lunar orbit while the Command Module descended to the Moon's surface and later returned to Earth. Afterward, it was jettisoned, ultimately burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.
