splashdown

Splashdown is the deliberate recovery of a spacecraft when its reentry sequence ends with a controlled landing in a body of water, usually the ocean. This method preserves a softer impact for smaller capsules and provides a ready source of large, unobstructed space for recovery crews. Water landings are often preferred when high precision landing sites are unavailable or when spacecraft are designed for buoyant recovery.

Typically, splashdown involves a controlled descent with parachutes and, in some designs, retrorockets to dampen landing forces. After contact with the water, flotation devices or collars help the capsule remain upright and afloat while support ships and helicopters approach. Recovery teams secure the capsule, hoist it aboard a rescue vessel, and begin postflight procedures such as cabin depressurization checks and health monitoring of any crew.

Historically, splashdowns have been a common method for crewed capsules returning from spaceflight. The Apollo program conducted sea landings in the Pacific Ocean, supported by naval and Coast Guard operations. In more recent years, commercial and international vehicles have used water landings as part of their recovery plans; for example, SpaceX Dragon missions returning from the International Space Station have performed ocean splashdowns in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, and NASA’s Orion capsule used a Pacific splashdown during the Artemis I mission.

Environmental and safety considerations include weather and sea state criteria, potential contamination risks, and rapid access for medical checks and contamination control. Splashdown remains one option among landing modes, chosen to balance vehicle design, mission objectives, and recovery logistics.