splashdown

[ splash-doun ]

noun

1. the landing of a space vehicle in a body of water, especially the ocean:

   The footage of Apollo 11's splashdown was seen by millions across the United States.

2. the exact place where such a landing is made:

   The splashdown is expected to be American Samoa.

3. the time of such a landing:

   The splashdown was 2:04 p.m.

verb phrase

1. (of a spacecraft or an astronaut) to land in a body of water, especially the ocean:

   The crew of Expedition 55 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean exactly as predicted at 10:43 this morning.

splashdown

/ ˈsplæʃˌdaʊn /

noun

1. the controlled landing of a spacecraft on water at the end of a space flight
2. the time scheduled for this event

verb

1. intr, adverb (of a spacecraft) to make a splashdown

Word History and Origins

Origin of splashdown¹

First recorded in 1955–60; splash ( def ) + down ¹( def )

Example Sentences

It also includes the procedure for retrieving the capsule and its crew and cargo after splashdown.

From Science News

As with a handful of previous missions that have experimented with first-stage reuse, the Electron booster made a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

From Ars Technica

The company has been implementing a new atmospheric reentry and ocean splashdown process that uses a parachute to slow the booster’s descent, but the ultimate goal is to catch it in the air using a helicopter.

From TechCrunch

SpaceX said that the flight “will be carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control” and will end in a splashdown off the Florida coast.

From Washington Post

Marci jumped a foot out of the water, and her splashdown sent watery ripples rebounding off the cavern walls.

From Project Gutenberg

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