Question

a small section of a spacecraft
that detaches from the main part
7 letter long starting with letter s​

Answer 1

Answer:

In general terms, spacecraft separate in “stages”. Normally, the stages are numbered (1st stage, 2nd stage, etc.) by the order they occur in. For example, the Space Shuttle was a two stage rocket. The Shuttle Main Engines (SMEs) plus the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) combined to make the first stage. That stage ended when the SRBs separated from the “stack” (the orbiter, SRB, external tank collectively). The second stage consisted of only the SMEs, which lasted until the ET separated. Technically speaking, the orbiter could be considered the 3rd stage of the STS (Space Transportation System).

For inline rockets (think Saturn V), the stages really are separate and unique, in that each stage fired sequentially and separately. Included below is a neat little infographic detailing some of the Saturn V stages. Hope this helps!