Space capsule

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A space capsule is a spacecraft designed to transport cargo, scientific experiments, and/or astronauts to and from space. Reentry capsules are distinguished from other spacecraft by the ability to survive atmospheric reentry and return a payload to the Earth's surface from orbit or sub-orbit, and are distinguished from other types of recoverable spacecraft (eg. spaceplanes) by their blunt shape, not having wings. They often contain little fuel other than what is necessary for a safe return. Capsule-based crewed spacecraft such as Soyuz or Orion are often supported by a service or adapter module, and sometimes augmented with an extra module for extended space operations. A crewed space capsule must be able to sustain life in an often demanding thermal and radiation environment in the vacuum of space. It may be expendable (used once, like Soyuz) or reusable (like Dragon 2). Capsules make up the majority of crewed spacecraft designs, although one crewed spaceplane, the Space Shuttle, has...

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