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In the question How far away can spacecraft be seen with an optical telescope? I used

...Apollo 14 CM & LEM and the Saturn IV B..."

for lack of better words. Unlike some people I (don't) have the best words.

What is a better way to say "Apollo 14 CM & LEM"? Is there a one word name for those two spacecraft when they are connected, traveling and maneuvering in space together as a single unit?

For example, I think we can say Soyuz spacecraft to refer to all three components when they are connected, and Soyuz capsule for the unit containing astronauts returning to Earth.

But if I said Apollo spacecraft it might refer to either the CM, LEM, or both when connected. I'm looking for a term that refers exclusively to the connected pair.

uhoh
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1 Answers1

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I haven't seen a non-compound name used for the combination; the term "CSM/LM" seems to have been preferred. Here are a few contemporary NASA sources:

Alex Hajnal
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