Why is there sometimes a rescue pod icon in the HUD?
According to a couple of threads on the Steam Forums, it's a display bug. You can fix it by turning the icon on and off again, although as you state yourself it's not a permanent fix.
Sources:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/264710/discussions/0/1700541698682034008/
https://steamcommunity.com/app/264710/discussions/0/1489987634011862756/