Apollo (spacecraft)

The Apollo spacecraft was composed of three parts designed to accomplish the American Apollo program's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by the end of the 1960s and returning them safely to Earth. The expendable (single-use) spacecraft consisted of a combined Command/Service Module (CSM) and a Lunar Module (LM). Two additional components complemented the spacecraft stack for space vehicle assembly: a Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA) designed to shield the LM from the aerodynamic stress of launch, and to connect the CSM to the Saturn launch vehicle; and a Launch Escape System (LES) to carry the crew in the Command Module safely away from the launch vehicle in the event of a launch emergency.

The design was based on the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous approach: two docked spacecraft were sent to the Moon and went into lunar orbit. While the LM separated and landed, the CSM remained in orbit. After the lunar excursion, the two craft rendezvoused and docked in lunar orbit, and the CSM returned the crew to Earth. The Command Module was the only part of the space vehicle that returned with the crew to the Earth's surface.