Florida: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are safely home after an almost nine-month space mission. After departing from the International Space Station (ISS) in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on Tuesday, March 18, they splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3:27 AM the next morning. This “splashdown,” where the spacecraft lands in water, is an essential part of space travel.
What is Splashdown?
(Splashdown — the safe landing of a spacecraft into the water — using parachutes.) A spacecraft returning back to Earth is travelling at very high speeds when it re-enters the atmosphere, so it needs to be decelerated in a controlled manner. As the spacecraft slows down due to friction with the atmosphere, it gets bombarded with extreme heat, with temperatures as high as 1,500 degrees Celsius around it.
Why is Splashdown Important?
Splashdown is essential, as it enables the vehicle to gently descend with the assistance of parachute systems. Several parachutes make themselves available, which serve to steady and anchor down the landing. Water is an excellent shock absorber, making it the perfect medium for splashdowns. Water’s low viscosity and density also allow for a gentler landing than on solid ground.
Advantages of Water Landings
Water gives a level, benign landing surface. Water landings are generally advantageous compared to terrestrial landings, where uneven terrain can result in rollovers and skidding risks. But there are also potential downsides. As an example, water landings can be more complicated as far as evacuation depending on the circumstances.
The Experience of Splashdown
Splashdown can be a traumatic experience, like a car crash. Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut who said he was returned to Earth on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2007, said it was like a car accident — sudden and jarring. As you begin to experience the long spiel of forces as you slow down, you’ll notice that in the depths of the earth, in relative terms, things will see and undergo severe withering.
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