this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 4 points 11 minutes ago

Its called landing, not watering ffs.

[–] TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 hour ago

Pay attention to what? Why would you say that and then proceed to say nothing?

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 35 points 3 hours ago (5 children)

I'm not really sure that's the main reason. In case of a chute failure you're going to have a bad time in either case.

Russian capsules land on land.

I think it's just a lot more easier to recover, when there's no landscape around that you need to traverse

[–] mercano@lemmy.world 43 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Russian capsules launch from the Kazack steppe. In the event of a launch abort, like there was in October 2018, you need to have a capsule that can land on land.

American capsules launch from Florida and fly over the ocean. In the event of an abort, they need to be able to land at sea.

They both took their abort modes and just made it the standard way to land after a mission.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago

Sounds like the real reason right here. The sea landing surely is a lot easier and quicker to recover as well.

[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 5 points 1 hour ago

I imagine a lot of factors... but yeah that's a big one, no mountains, no buildings, no population centers, you can miss by 100 miles and just add some time to the recovery.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

The capsules can do a water splashdown with parachutes alone.

The capsules that land on land all seem to have some additional system to slow down in addition to the parachute. Boeing Starliner has airbags that deploy around and below the heat shield. Soyuz has a braking rocket system that fires immediately before impact.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 22 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

There are so many things that you can land on land that will absolutely ruin your day. A large boulder, a large tree, a cliffside, a building, something flammable, near an angry hungry bear... Astronauts coming back to Earth after spending a significant amount of time in microgravity are also mostly helpless until they adapt to Earth's gravity again. The open sea is seen as safer in the American school of thought.

[–] 0ops@piefed.zip 21 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 43 minutes ago) (1 children)

I read that as "safer than an American school" and I'm like well yeah, low bar

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Did you see the Principal that tackled a shooter the other day? Bravo!

[–] Droechai@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 37 minutes ago

The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a school administrator

[–] megopie@beehaw.org 3 points 1 hour ago

So, the issue does come down to the chutes. A chute capable of reducing decent speed to 10m/s is significantly larger than one capable of getting the speed to 60 m/s. Impractically large on a weight constrained thing like a space capsule.

The Soyuz uses a small set of retro rockets to reduce speed in the last few seconds before touch down, and even then it’s like being in a car crash.

On the Vostok capsules the astronauts didn’t even land with the capsules, they just bailed out and parachuted down.

Landing in the ocean is significantly more comfortable and less complicated.

[–] charokol@piefed.social 13 points 2 hours ago (4 children)

What is she even getting at?

[–] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 8 points 1 hour ago

She's stupid, so don't worry about it. Or she's saying 'pay attention' as she's well versed in people drifting off when she speaks.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 11 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I was about to say, what is even her point?

[–] kinkles@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

You’re obviously not paying attention

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 3 points 55 minutes ago (1 children)

Well, I am broke. Is this a weekly charge, or daily?

[–] Opisek@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 27 minutes ago (1 children)

Depends. Do you have ADHD? Then it's a lifelong recurring payment.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 1 points 19 minutes ago

I haven't even installed Meowgenics yet, give me a few minutes to get these things!

[–] fonix232@fedia.io 5 points 1 hour ago

Probably something along the lines of how the reptilians live in underwatwr cities thus landing in the ocean makes it easier for them to swap out astronauts.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah. I’m ready for the wacked-out conspiracy shit.

[–] Silic0n_Alph4@lemmy.world 2 points 41 minutes ago

It’s because the ocean doesn’t exist.

say that the astronauts landed in the ocean because they don’t want us to realise that there is no ocean. NASA landed on the moon and faked the “”””””””splashdown“””””””” (which was filmed by Kevin Reynolds at a soundstage on Specific Boulevard) just to keep people from realising THE TRUTH..!!!.!!.!!!.!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay attention.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 12 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

No, no she’s on to something. If they don’t touch down on land why is it called a landing and not a sea-ing.

Checkmate atheists

[–] fonix232@fedia.io 6 points 1 hour ago

Because sea-ing is believing, and they know that we should only WANT to believe, but not actually believe.

[–] smuuthbrane@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 hours ago

Water big, easy hit, soft splash.

[–] Mad_Punda@feddit.org 6 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It’s called splashdown for a reason. I guess on land it could still be a splashdown?

[–] notabot@piefed.social 6 points 2 hours ago

Unfortunately, on at least one occasion it was. Cosonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when the main parachute failed on his Soyuz 1 capsule. Probably the worst part was he knew, before launch, that he would probably die: CW:An all around grim story, and a picture of his, unrecognisable, charred remains

[–] saltnotsugar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Astronaut: Oh crap, was blue water or land? Screw it, it’s land…oh noooooooo!!! Mr. Dolphin watch out!!!