ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Space capsule

Okay, so you know how astronauts go up to space using rockets, right? But once they're up there, they can't just stay in the rocket. They need a little house to live in! That's where the space capsule comes in.

A space capsule is like a tiny spaceship that can travel through space and keep astronauts safe while they're up there. It's shaped like a big metal cone, sort of like an ice cream cone but upside down.

Inside the space capsule, there's room for the astronauts to sleep, eat, and do experiments. There are also important things like oxygen tanks and computers to help them communicate with people back on earth.

When the astronauts are ready to come back to earth, the space capsule has a special heat shield that helps it survive the intense heat of re-entry. That's when the capsule comes crashing back down through the atmosphere and lands on the ground.

Overall, the space capsule is like a really cool tiny house that protects astronauts and helps them explore space.