A question, is the Aries cockpit so different that it could not be used? This is off the cuff. I would have to look at it. The Odyssey shares the same technology as the Aries. Just wondering if something suitable wasn't already out there. As far as pods, I don't think making some for the ship would be so hard. If they were made up in layers, knowing you would have to sand the final sphere, and add the outside pieces, something could be done. What are the dimensions of a pod that scale? I know this is asking a lot of questions, but if I were to do this, someone has to help with some of the leg work, and take credit for it too!.
The cockpit of the Aries 1-B is very different from the Discovery, unfortuantly. I'm gonna go Internet hunting tonight, and see what I can dig up.