Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Why Indian astronaut splashed down on water ???

We all have seen how Indian astronaut  Shubhanshu Shukla returned from space mission by splashing down  on California bay.


 Splashdown during the re-entry of astronauts from space is the obvious choice for gentle return to Earth.


There are 2 types of landings :  splashdown  (  on water  ) and  terrestrial landing    (  on  solid land  ).


What ultimately drives the decision between water and land landings ??


While water landings are common in the case of USA,  countries like Russia and China rely on ground landing for their manned space mission,


Choice between land and sea landing is made based on  ----

1.  Spacecraft's design 

2.  Capabilities 

3.  Recovery infrastructure available 



41 years qgo,  first Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma landed in Kazakhstan after his mission to Soviet space station.



Water landing,.minimize risk.  It ensures the debris from spacecraft's trunk falls into vast and unpopulated ocean.



Land landing require controlled zones to manage debris which can be unpredictable.


Landing on Earth often involve harsher impact because of microgravity.

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