Capsule

Capsule
Code name	Capsule
Mass (t)	4
Heat tolerance (°C)	1000 °C
Torque (kN)	5kn

A Capsule is a part that can allow control over a rocket. It has good aerodynamics and is currently only available in a small size. This capsule can carry one astronaut.

Trivia

An orbital rocket with a capsule

• The capsule was the first part added to the game along with Separators, Hawk Engine, Valiant Engine, Fuel Tank, and a few more.
• It is likely inspired by the capsule used in NASA's Mercury and Gemini missions and the Mk1 Command Pod in KSP. In real life, the capsule does not have a reaction wheel to produce torque. The astronauts could have spun around inside it, but it would likely have produced less than a specialized reaction wheel (depending on power).
• The lowest layer of tiles now has attachment points on the side, unlike the other three layers.
• The Capsule's description says that it holds one astronaut. In real life, similar ones can hold 4, 7, or even 13 astronauts at once. However this could change as a part of the Astronauts update, which as of right now has not released and has no set release date.
• The top of the Capsule is designed to join to the 2×1 docking port and parachute without overhangs, for optimal aerodynamics.
• Within the files the capsule with the heat shield is referred to as CapsuleNew while the capsule with no heat shield is referred to as just Capsule. The version with the heat shield is useful for the career mode in case you don't buy a heat shield.
• A capsule with a top parachute on it is called a Capsule + Parachute.
• You can customize your capsule's skin by putting a 10t fuel tank on it, and putting it with a parachute on top. It can also be put with RCS Thrusters, so you can control your capsule's trajectory.
• It used to have an metal ring at the tip of the capsule.

History

• Prior to 1.4, the Capsule had what looked like an ablative heat shield on its bottom, and when the part was re-textured in 1.5.1.3, the heat shield was added back, but brighter than the original. In 1.5.3, the heat shield separated from the capsule and became its own part.
• In older versions of the game, the capsule used to be 4 blocks tall. On 1.35 it was 5 blocks tall, on 1.5 it returned to 4 blocks tall, at 1.5.1.3, it was 4 ¹/₂ blocks tall, and on 1.5.3 it returned to 4 blocks tall.
• On 1.35, the part was renamed the "Command Module", but in 1.5 it was renamed back to "Capsule".
• On 1.5.9, the Capsule's texture has been significantly changed, and now what appears to be a door has been added.

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