splashdown
noun
splash·down
ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n 
plural splashdowns
: the landing of a crewed spacecraft in the ocean
splash down
intransitive verb
Examples of splashdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite Starship's failure to make its planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean, SpaceX said the rocket still achieved several key milestones that had not been accomplished in the past two tests aimed to show how well the rocket's two stages work together in flight.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The Crew Dragon then descended to a gentle splashdown in calm winds and mild seas.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Third Starship test far more successful than the first two in 2023
SpaceX's uncrewed Starship was on its way to a powered splashdown in the Indian Ocean about an hour after launch when signals were lost at an altitude of about 40 miles.
—USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
Had the engines completed their burn, Starship would have gained enough speed to circle the Earth for nearly one full orbit, before falling back to the planet over the Pacific Ocean for a targeted splashdown.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023
Closing out a six-month stay at the International Space Station, a three-man, one-woman crew plunged back to Earth early Tuesday, streaking across the heartland of America like a blazing meteor as their Crew Dragon capsule descended to a Gulf of Mexico splashdown.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Instead of splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, the upper stage will target a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Starship will coast about three-quarters of the way around the world before plunging back into the atmosphere for a targeted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
Axiom 3 was slated for splashdown on Saturday but has been delayed until Tuesday, at the earliest, due to weather, according to SpaceX, which manufactured the Crew Dragon spacecraft used for the mission.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 4 Feb. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The Crew Dragon then descended to a gentle splashdown in calm winds and mild seas.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Third Starship test far more successful than the first two in 2023
SpaceX's uncrewed Starship was on its way to a powered splashdown in the Indian Ocean about an hour after launch when signals were lost at an altitude of about 40 miles.
—USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
Had the engines completed their burn, Starship would have gained enough speed to circle the Earth for nearly one full orbit, before falling back to the planet over the Pacific Ocean for a targeted splashdown.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023
Closing out a six-month stay at the International Space Station, a three-man, one-woman crew plunged back to Earth early Tuesday, streaking across the heartland of America like a blazing meteor as their Crew Dragon capsule descended to a Gulf of Mexico splashdown.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Instead of splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, the upper stage will target a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Starship will coast about three-quarters of the way around the world before plunging back into the atmosphere for a targeted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
Axiom 3 was slated for splashdown on Saturday but has been delayed until Tuesday, at the earliest, due to weather, according to SpaceX, which manufactured the Crew Dragon spacecraft used for the mission.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 4 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'splashdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Splashdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splashdown. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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splashdown
noun
splash·down
ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n
: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean
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