Scores are relative 0–100 marks within this atlas. Use them to browse, not as an engineering spec.
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Quick answers
Which local authority or corridor rules matter for this type?
Start with the local lens: type approval, operator licences and the hubs named on this page — not a single global checklist.
Is this a buying guide?
No. Tool-Lifes /vehicles is an educational atlas. It explains history, systems and culture without affiliate rankings.
Are the scores official?
No. The six scores are relative editorial 0–100 marks across the twenty-four types on this site.
Where do the photos come from?
Lead images resolve from Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia titles on the English masters, with licences recorded on the credits page.
Why metric units?
Metric is the default. Regional notes (US customary, local brand culture) appear in culture and market chapters.
How is this different from a wiki article?
Each type gets seven fixed-depth chapters, comparable scores and cross-type labs — structured for browsing, not a single freeform page.
Every Crewed capsule is a negotiated stack of structure, energy conversion, control and human interfaces under weather and regulation.
The systems, meters and hotspots below are type-level engineering — manufacturers vary; load paths and failure modes do not.
Systems
Pressure vessel hull
Aluminum or composite shell holds cabin atmosphere for crew during ascent, orbit, and reentry.
Launch escape or abort
Solid or liquid abort motors pull capsule off failing booster within milliseconds.
Docking & life support
APAS/NDS ports mate to stations; ECLSS scrubs CO2 and manages humidity and O2.
Heat shield & PICA tiles
Ablative or tiled TPS dissipates reentry plasma heat on blunt base.
Parachute & airbag landing
Drogue then main chutes slow descent; airbags or retro rockets cushion touchdown.
Avionics & touch displays
Fault-tolerant computers run guidance; crew interfaces for manual backup modes.
Relative meters
Hotspots
TPS breach
Damaged heat shield threatens structural temperature limits on reentry.
Parachute reefing
Line twist or failed mortar deploy causes hard impact.
ECLSS filter clog
CO2 scrubber saturation forces early deorbit or station rely.
Hatch seal leak
Micrometeoroid or seal wear raises leak rate beyond scrubber capacity.
Touchscreen fault
Crew must fall back to hard switches for critical abort commands.
Materials
Avcoat / PICA ablator
Char-forming material sheds heat flux during peak heating.
Ti pressure shell
Machined rings and welded domes meet crew module pressure loads.
Nomex harness webbing
Crew restraint straps meet dynamic landing load cases.
LiOH CO2 scrubber
Consumable canisters remove carbon dioxide in closed-loop life support.