Apollo command and service module
Also known as: CSM · Command and Service Module
- 1The command and service module functioned as the primary mother ship for Apollo missions.
- 2It was designed to transport a crew of three astronauts to lunar orbit and back to Earth.
- 3The conical command module served as the pressurized cabin for the crew and reentry equipment.
- 4The cylindrical service module provided essential propulsion, electrical power, and consumable storage.
- 5An umbilical connection facilitated the transfer of power and resources between the two modules.
- 6The service module was jettisoned and incinerated in the atmosphere prior to the command module's reentry.
The Apollo command and service module (CSM) was one of two principal components of the United States Apollo spacecraft, used for the Apollo program, which landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972.
Connections2
docking counterpart for the Lunar Module
The Lunar Module docked with this spacecraft in lunar orbit to transfer the crew before the return journey to Earth.
Primary spacecraft component for lunar transit
This module served as the living quarters and command center for the crew during the journey to and from the Moon.
The Apollo command and service module (CSM) was one of two principal components of the United States Apollo spacecraft, used for the Apollo program, which landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. The CSM functioned as a mother ship, which carried a crew of three astronauts and the second Apollo spacecraft, the Apollo Lunar Module, to lunar orbit, and brought the astronauts back to Earth. It consisted of two parts: the conical command module, a cabin that housed the crew and carried equipment needed for atmospheric reentry and splashdown; and the cylindrical service module which provided propulsion, electrical power and storage for various consumables required during a mission. An umbilical connection transferred power and consumables between the two modules. Just before reentry of the command module on the return home, the umbilical connection was severed and the service module was cast off and allowed to burn up in the atmosphere.
Command module interior arrangementWikimedia CommonsCommand module reentering the atmosphere at a non-zero angle of attack in order to establish a lifting entry and control the landing site (artistic rendition)Wikimedia CommonsThe Apollo 15 Command Module splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, 1971.Wikimedia CommonsScale model of the Apollo command and service module at the Euro Space Center in BelgiumWikimedia CommonsMain control panelWikimedia CommonsOriginal cockpit of the command module of Apollo 11 with three seats, photographed from above. It is located in the National Air and Space Museum. The very high resolution image was produced in 2007 by the Smithsonian Institution.Wikimedia CommonsGuidance and navigation equipmentWikimedia CommonsApollo 14 command module Kitty Hawk at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.Wikimedia CommonsTechnicians installing a model of an Apollo command module in the 9- by 6-Foot Thermal Structures Tunnel for tests of possible heat-shield materials. This test program, which also involved rocket flights and other wind tunnels, was known as Project Fire. Note the floor turntable, multiple circular viewing windows, and...Wikimedia Commons; NASA on The Commons; 9x6-Foot Thermal Structures Tunnel; No restrictions; Wikimedia Commons: Category:Apollo Command and Service ModulesApollo insigniaWikimedia Commons; Original: NASA Vector: Lommes; Own work based on: Apollo program insignia.png; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P154 (logo image)The Apollo 15 Service Module as viewed from the Apollo Lunar Module. Image has been cropped and rotated.Wikimedia Commons; NASA; http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a15/as15-88-11963.jpg; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image) 152 words