Escape pod explained

An escape pod, escape capsule, life capsule, or lifepod is a capsule or craft, usually only big enough for one person, used to escape from a vessel in an emergency. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose. Escape pods are ubiquitous in science fiction but are only used in a few real vehicles.

Real life

• Because they were intended to fly too high and fast for safe use of conventional ejection seats, the Bell X-2, B-58 Hustler, XB-70 Valkyrie, F-111 and B‑1A Lancer all used enclosed escape crew capsules of some kind.
  • A similar concept OSCAR (Optimum Survival Containment and Recovery), was intended for the Vought F-8 Crusader.^{[1] [2]}
• The single submarine of the Soviet "Mike"-class, K-278 Komsomolets had an escape capsule, which was jettisoned upon its sinking in 1989. Other Soviet submarines like the Oscar-class are only rumored to have escape capsules. During the sinking of the Kursk, the crew was unable to reach it. Also the Typhoon-class is rumored to have escape pods located near or in the sail. Evidence for this can be found in a German documentary on the Typhoon-class submarine Severstal. The Shishumar class submarine has an IKL-designed integrated escape sphere. The sphere has accommodations for the entire crew with an eight-hour air supply.^{[3] [4]}

Fiction

Escape pods are frequently depicted as being used by large spacecraft in science fiction, for example the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars, the Axiom in WALL-E, and the vessels of Starfleet in Star Trek. The 1981 film Lifepod and the 1993 TV film of the same name both revolve around such vehicles.

External links

• Detachable Pilotable Capsules and Aircrafts [sic Including Detachable Pilotable Capsules]

Notes and References

1. Naval Aviation News, July 1971
2. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/Naval%20Aviation%20News/1970/pdf/jul71.pdf
3. Web site: Shishumar Class Patrol Submarine - Military-Today.com. ARG. www.military-today.com. 2009-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20090127053113/http://military-today.com/navy/shishumar_class.htm. 2009-01-27. live.
4. Web site: Shishumar Class.