Space capsule

A compact spacecraft that carries people or cargo and is designed to return through a planet’s atmosphere, often using a heat shield and parachutes.

Atmospheric reentry: The passage of a spacecraft or other object from space into a planetary atmosphere at high speed. Capsules must survive intense heating and forces during their return to Earth.
Mercury-Redstone 3: The 1961 flight that carried Alan Shepard on the first American human spaceflight. Its Mercury capsule demonstrated crewed suborbital flight and recovery.
Spacecraft: A vehicle or device designed to travel or operate in outer space. A capsule is one compact form of spacecraft, usually optimized for transport and return.
Spaceplane: A spacecraft designed to use aerodynamic lift for atmospheric flight and landing. Unlike a capsule, a spaceplane can maneuver through the atmosphere and land on a runway.
Spaceflight human factors: The study of how human abilities and limits affect spacecraft design and operation. Capsule interiors must fit crews into restricted volume while supporting safe operations.
Ablative heat shield: A thermal protection layer that absorbs heat by decomposing and carrying material away. Many capsules use ablative shields to protect their pressure vessels during reentry.
Apollo command module: The crewed spacecraft component that carried Apollo astronauts to and from the Moon. Its conical shape and heat shield enabled lunar-return reentry.
Spacecraft pressurization: The maintenance of a breathable, controlled-pressure environment inside a spacecraft. Crew capsules need a sealed cabin to protect occupants from vacuum.
Space shuttle: A partially reusable crewed spacecraft system that launched vertically and landed as an orbiter. Its winged orbiter contrasted with the compact ballistic return of a capsule.
Space rescue: The recovery or evacuation of people in distress during spaceflight. Capsule recovery planning includes locating and retrieving crews after landing.

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