How Do You Spell SPLASH DOWN?

Pronunciation: [splˈaʃ dˈa͡ʊn] (IPA)

The term "splash down" is spelled as /ˈsplæʃ daʊn/ in IPA phonetic transcription. This word refers to the landing of a spacecraft or object onto a body of water. The word "splash" is spelled with the consonant cluster "spl" and the vowel sound /æ/ which represents the short "a" sound as in "bat". The word "down" is spelled with the vowel sound /aʊ/ which represents a combination of the short "a" and long "o" sounds. Together, they create the unique pronunciation of the word "splash down".

SPLASH DOWN Meaning and Definition

1. The term "splash down" refers to the controlled landing of a spacecraft or a projectile into a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake. It describes the process in which the vehicle or object makes contact with the water surface after reentry from space or descent from the atmosphere.

   During a splash down, the landing is carefully orchestrated to ensure a safe arrival and prevent damage to the vehicle and its occupants. Typically, a splash down occurs after a mission in space, where the spacecraft has completed its objectives and is returning to Earth. Prior to landing, the vehicle may undergo a series of maneuvers, such as orienting itself for reentry and adjusting its trajectory to target the desired landing area.

   The splash down process involves the vehicle descending through the Earth's atmosphere, experiencing intense heat and friction due to atmospheric drag. Upon reaching a lower altitude, any remaining heat shield is jettisoned to reduce weight and allow for controlled descent. As the spacecraft reaches the water surface, it creates a significant impact or "splash," followed by different stages of deceleration until it comes to a complete stop.

   Splash downs have been historically employed by numerous space missions, such as the Apollo missions, where the returning astronauts' capsule would safely land in the ocean. Furthermore, splash downs have also been used for different types of projectiles, such as missile tests or weapon systems. The outcome of a successful splash down ensures a secure landing of the spacecraft or projectile, allowing for crew extraction, recovery operations, and subsequent retrieval of the vessel or payload.

Common Misspellings for SPLASH DOWN

• aplash down
• zplash down
• xplash down
• dplash down
• eplash down
• wplash down
• solash down
• sllash down
• s-lash down
• s0lash down
• spkash down
• sppash down
• spoash down
• splzsh down
• splssh down
• splwsh down
• splqsh down
• splaah down
• splazh down
• splaxh down

Etymology of SPLASH DOWN

The term "splash down" originated in the context of space exploration and specifically relates to the safe landing of spacecraft in water. It combines two separate words: "splash" and "down".

Here's a breakdown of their etymology:

1. Splash: This word dates back to the 17th century and can be traced to the Old English word "splettan" or "splottian", which meant to make a splashing sound or scatter. Over time, this evolved into the Middle Dutch word "splaten" and Middle Low German word "splutten", which referred to spattering or splashing.

2. Down: This word originated in Old English as "dun", stemming from the Proto-Germanic word "dūnaz", meaning "hill" or "rising ground". Later, it also came to denote a downward direction or descent.

Idioms with the word SPLASH DOWN

• splash down Splash down is an idiom that refers to the safe landing of a spacecraft or aircraft in a body of water. It is typically used in reference to space capsules or other vehicles that are designed to land in water after completing a mission.