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

Since making a splashdown near California, the three Americans and one Canadian selected for NASA's landmark Artemis II mission have hardly been idle. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

Following its splashdown in the Pacific on April 10, the Orion capsule was trucked from San Diego to Cape Canaveral. —Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026

The Artemis 2 heat shield looks like a sunken treasure from the Titanic in an underwater shot following splashdown. —Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Three days prior to the crew’s splashdown, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stated that his blood pressure would remain high until the crew returned to Earth. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 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