The UIR Space Capsule was a planned spacecraft developed and built by the Union of Independent Republics. The Space Capsule was originally planned to be fixed on a specialized nose cone and than mounted on a UIR Rocket for launch.
History[]
Pendulum Wars[]
During the Pendulum Wars, the Space Capsule was planned to be part of the ambitious Expedition to the Moons of Sera program. The Space Capsule was housed in the Cosmonaut Training Facility and was meant to train cosmonauts for re-entry purposes. [1]
The Space Capsule, along with the planned expedition, was halted abruptly following the Mutiny at OZP-11 and promptly cancelled soon after following the UIR-COG Armistice.
Description[]
The Space Capsule is a spacecraft intended exclusively for re-entry purposes. As there are no way to safely return back to Sera's surface after an intended orbital period other than re-entry, the Space Capsule is designed as a one-way transit for Cosmonauts to return to the surface.
As such, these non-reusable spacecraft are wingless and blunt. This is in order for the vehicle to bare the brunt of the heat during orbital re-entry without killing the crew. Due to its blunt shape, the Space Capsule could transfer the intense heat of air friction on an even surface. High heat resisting materials such as an ablative heat shield would absorb or vaporize to disperse the heat more efficiently. The spacecraft would also need a relatively thick hull to support the vehicle from decompressing from the sheer pressure of re-entry.
The Space Capsule would than launch its parachutes and braking rockets once the vehicle is in its final descent before safely landing either on Sera's surface or its oceans.