Reason why ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts landed in the ocean instead of solid ground
There's an interesting reason as to why the stuck NASA astronauts landed in the ocean instead of solid ground earlier this week on Tuesday (18 March).
Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore docked their Boeing Starliner onto the International Space Station (ISS) back in June for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, unaware that they'd be trapped in the ship for a further nine months following a bout of technical faults.
Despite mass concern online, Williams and Wilmore assured the public they weren't abandoned on the ISS following claims made by President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that their return was delayed by the Joe Biden administration for political reasons.
How did they land?
The NASA astronauts' SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just hours after leaving the ISS with splashdown occurring off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, which eventually brought their unplanned odyssey to an end.
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Wilmore and Williams ended up spending a staggering 286 days in space, which is a whole 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched.
They circled Earth 4,576 times and travelled 121 million miles by the time of splashdown.
What is a splashdown landing?
The splashdown method is pretty much what it says on the tin - a technique where a spacecraft lands in the ocean instead of on solid ground.
Why was a splashdown used for the return?
There are a number of reasons as to why the splashdown method is used with one being that it simply makes for a gentler landing.
This is because the body of water acts as somewhat of a natural cushion which, in turn, reduces the impact force on astronauts compared to a hard ground landing.
Secondly, it means the aircraft design can be simpler as such a landing eliminates the need for complex landing gear like wheels or airbags which makes the spacecraft lighter and safer.
And, thirdly, a splashdown landing brings with it a lower risk of damage as spacecrafts can experience some very intense heat and speed during re-entry to Earth and landing in water can help minimise structural stress on the vessel.
What's next for Wilmore and Williams?
Ahead of readjusting to their normal every day lives on Earth, it's expected that the astronauts will have to go through some protocol, as well as health checks, after so long in space.
A NASA spokesperson has previously said: "All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health."
Rhiannon Ingle