These heavy mockups match the exact dimensions, weight, and center of gravity of a real space capsule but contain no expensive avionics or life support systems. Engineers use them to validate parachute deployments, water recovery procedures, and launch abort systems without risking flight-ready hardware. They are typically built from thick steel plates, giving them a crude, industrial appearance compared to the real spacecraft.
Heard on the job
The crane operator is lifting the boilerplate capsule out of the test pool after the splashdown drill.
Also heard as
- mass simulator