A space capsule is a type of spacecraft designed to transport cargo, scientific experiments, and/or astronauts to and from space. Capsules are distinguished from other spacecraft by their ability to survive reentry and return a payload to the Earth’s surface from orbit or sub-orbit. They are typically blunt in shape, without wings, and often contain little fuel other than what is necessary for a safe return.Space capsules are designed to sustain life in the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures and radiation. They can be expendable, used once like the Soyuz, or reusable, like the Crew Dragon. Examples of crewed space capsules include the Soyuz, Shenzhou, and Dragon 2, with new designs like NASA’s Orion and Boeing’s Starliner currently in development.Historically, space capsules have played a significant role in human spaceflight, with notable examples including the Vostok, Mercury, Voskhod, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Modern space capsules continue to advance in terms of technology and capabilities, such as the New Shepard crew capsule for suborbital space tourism and the Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis program.