The Discovery One was designed as a practical deep space ship rather than a conventional rocket. With design reflecting contemporary aerospace thinking of the 1960s, Kubrick insisted that the ship’s interiors were deliberately minimal, with only functional lighting and restrained detailing, reinforcing the film’s emphasis on realism.⁠ ⁠ Kubrick built an exceptionally large model of the ship so that focus changes did not give away the true small size to the audience. A large, rotating carousel was constructed for the artificial gravity scenes, allowing actors to walk in continuous loops while the camera remained fixed.