// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Splashdown
Splashdown is when a spacecraft or capsule returns to Earth and lands in a body of water, typically the ocean. This method is often used for crewed missions.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Splashdown is the controlled atmospheric re-entry and subsequent landing of a spacecraft or capsule into a body of water, commonly the ocean, often employed for crewed missions like Apollo and SpaceX Dragon to mitigate land impact forces.
BACKGROUND
As of July 24, 2026, the SpaceX Starship has been launched 13 times, with 8 successes and 5 failures. SpaceX has developed Starship with the intention of lowering launch costs using economies of scale. It aims to achieve this by reusing both rocket stages, increasing payload mass to orbit, increasing launch frequency, creating a mass-manufacturing pipeline and adapting it to a wide range of space missions. Starship is the latest project in SpaceX's reusable launch system development program and plan to colonize Mars, and is one of two landing systems selected by NASA for the Artemis program's crewed Lunar missions.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Water landing
- Ocean landing
- Re-entry
- Descent
USAGE NOTE
Splashdown requires precise targeting and recovery efforts by naval assets.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Splashdown.
Designs, manufactures, and operates the Dragon and Crew Dragon spacecraft, which return to Earth via a parachute-assisted splashdown in the ocean. The company has developed a dedicated fleet of recovery vessels and procedures.
Pioneered splashdown techniques with the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. NASA's current Orion spacecraft, designed for deep space Artemis missions, also uses splashdown, requiring development of advanced heat shields, parachute systems, and recovery protocols.
While its CST-100 Starliner capsule is designed for a primary landing on land, Boeing has developed and tested a contingency splashdown capability, including flotation systems and recovery procedures for an emergency water landing.
Actively develops and employs splashdown and ocean recovery technology for the first stage of its Electron rocket. This reusability method involves a parachute-guided descent into the ocean for retrieval by a recovery vessel.
A key European aerospace company that developed the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) for the European Space Agency. The IXV successfully demonstrated autonomous European re-entry capabilities, culminating in a parachute-guided splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
As the prime contractor for the European Service Module (ESM), which provides propulsion and power for NASA's Orion spacecraft, Airbus is directly involved in developing critical systems for a vehicle that relies on splashdown for its return to Earth.
Provides critical assets and develops operational procedures for the recovery of spacecraft that land in the ocean, such as NASA's Orion capsule. Their expertise and specialized equipment are integral to the safety and success of crewed water landings.