2026-04-14 13:48 UTC
Water is as hard as concrete from a large height.
They splash down in water because there is less chance of hitting something.
Replies (3)
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@ptu@sopuli.xyz 2026-04-14 13:59
Due to its low density and viscosity, water cushions the spacecraft enough that there is no need for a braking rocket to slow the final descent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splashdown
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@BCsven@lemmy.ca 2026-04-15 01:19
They have parachutes to slow decent, so its not just a hard drop from space to ocean surfacw
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@michaelmrose@lemmy.world 2026-04-14 19:20
You are talking about surface tension. The importance parameter is speed not height and "like concrete" is a drastic simplification as both behave very differently on impact. Notably whereas high divers have reached speeds of 60 mph the Artemis II splashed down at around 1/4 that speed a speed you too can obtain by jumping from about 10 feet up.