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

In less than 12 minutes, the Crew Dragon's velocity was reduced from 17,000 mph at the start of the descent to just 15 mph at splashdown thanks to atmospheric friction and, finally, braking provide by four large parachutes. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Things won't firm up until NASA and SpaceX determine that weather conditions in the splashdown zone are good enough to greenlight undocking and return to Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026

This time, the intent was for SpaceX to circle the globe from an altitude of 170 miles -- not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

And the splashdown in the Pacific Ocean ended in a huge bang, rather than the soft landing the company had hoped for. — Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for splashdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

splashdown

noun

splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n 

: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean