LanderCapsule

Vanilla game class at Assets.Scripts.Objects.LanderCapsule. The drop pod that delivers players from orbit. Inherits from DynamicThing. Entirely independent of the death/respawn system.

Independence from death/respawn

Source: F0095m.

The LanderCapsule (Assets.Scripts.Objects, inherits DynamicThing) is the drop pod that delivers players from orbit. It is completely independent of the death/respawn system. The respawn flow uses it through XML spawn data config, but the capsule itself has no awareness of whether the player is alive, dead, or respawning.

Key constants

Source: F0087.

KinematicStartHeight = 100m     (teleport distance above ground)
DURATION = 10s                  (total descent time)
ENGINE_START_TIME = 3s          (engines fire at this point)
DESCENT_SHAKE = 0.03            (camera shake during freefall)
ENGINES_SHAKE = 0.2             (camera shake when engines fire)
DOOR_EJECT_FORCE = 9f           (force on door when blown off)

LanderMode enum

Source: F0095n.

LanderMode enum: AtRest = 0 (on ground, idle), Descending = 1 (in-flight descent), Venting = 2 (door ejected, gas particles).

Descent sequence

Source: F0088.

Triggered by setting InteractableType.Mode to 1 (Descending):

1. BeginDescent(): sets isKinematic = true, saves ground position, teleports capsule 100m straight up, locks the door (InteractLock = 1), starts ControlledDescent() coroutine
2. ControlledDescent(): lerps position from start (high) to target (ground) over 10 seconds using EaseOutQuad(t) = 1 - (1-t)^2 (fast start, decelerating end). At t > 3s: enables Activate (fires engines, starts EntryEffects). Sets ControlledDescentLerp each frame (0 to 1) which drives thruster intensity. Camera shake increases from 0.03 to 0.2.
3. TerminateDescent(): disables kinematic (physics resume), disables entry effects, clears camera shake, sets mode to AtRest
4. WaitThenOpen(): waits 3 seconds, opens capsule (InteractOpen = 1), waits 500ms, unlocks (InteractLock = 0)
5. Door ejection: door slot occupant gets MoveToWorld with forward force of 9. Mode changes to Venting, gas particles emit for 3 seconds

Player experience timeline

Source: F0089.

Time	Event
0s	Pulled into capsule seat, camera switches to interior view, teleported 100m up
0-3s	Rapid freefall descent, gentle camera shake (0.03)
3-10s	Engines fire, thruster effects visible, shake intensifies (0.2), descent decelerates
10s	Ground contact, physics settle
13s	Door blows off, gas venting particles
13.5s	Lock released, player can exit

EntryEffects and SpaceSuitRespawn visuals

Source: F0095o.

EntryEffects component on the capsule controls re-entry fire/thruster visuals. EnableEffects() / DisableEffects() toggle linked GameObjects. SetIntensity(lerpFactor) scales thruster transforms using EaseOutQuart(lerp) * 0.7 with random jitter. SpaceSuitRespawn visual materialization effect: SpawnEffectTime = 5s fade-in, PauseTime = 1s, HideEffectTime = 3s fade-out. Animates a _cutoff shader property.

Slots

Source: $(StationeersPath)\rocketstation_Data\Managed\Assembly-CSharp.dll :: Assets.Scripts.Objects.LanderCapsule.

LanderCapsule.Slots is inherited from Thing:

// Thing
public List<Slot> Slots;

LanderCapsule defines two fixed slot accessors:

private Slot DoorSlot => Slots[0];
private Slot SeatSlot => Slots[1];

Index 0 is the door slot (the breakable door Thing occupies this). Index 1 is the seat for the human occupant. Both accessors are private, so external callers must reach into capsule.Slots[0] / capsule.Slots[1] directly.

InteractMode

Source: $(StationeersPath)\rocketstation_Data\Managed\Assembly-CSharp.dll :: Assets.Scripts.Objects.Thing and LanderCapsule.

InteractMode is inherited from Thing:

// Thing
public Interactable InteractMode => _interactableMode;

It is a property returning an Interactable instance whose Action == InteractableType.Mode. Interactable.State is an int indexed over LanderMode (byte-backed enum): 0 = AtRest, 1 = Descending, 2 = Venting.

Descent is triggered by LanderCapsule.OnInteractableStateChanged:

if (GameManager.RunSimulation
    && interactable.Action == InteractableType.Mode
    && newState != oldState
    && newState == 1)
{
    BeginDescent().Forget();
}

Setting state 1 via OnServer.Interact(capsule.InteractMode, 1) is what spawns the descent sequence documented in the "Descent sequence" section above.

Verification history

• 2026-04-20: page created from the Research migration; verbatim content lifted from F0087, F0088, F0089, F0095m, F0095n, F0095o. No conflicts.
• 2026-04-21: added "Slots" and "InteractMode" sections from direct decompile. Additive only; no existing content changed. Verified against Assets.Scripts.Objects.LanderCapsule in game version 0.2.6228.27061.

Open questions

None.