Splashdown vs touchdown: Shukla's water landing explained
Heads up: SpaceX's Dragon capsule, Grace, is set to splash down in the Pacific off California on July 15, bringing Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three crewmates back to Earth after nearly 20 days in space.
The team left the ISS on July 14, wrapping up their Axiom Mission 4 adventure that kicked off June 25.
Grace will 'gently' land in the Pacific Ocean
Instead of landing on solid ground, Grace will slow down with parachutes and touch down gently in the ocean—a safer way to return from space.
Heat shields protect against the fiery re-entry, while parachutes open at high altitudes to bring the speed down for a smooth water landing.
Shukla, 3 others returning with over 263kg of cargo
Alongside Shukla (ISRO), crew members Peggy Whitson (NASA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (ESA), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) are returning.
They're bringing over 263kg of cargo and results from more than 60 experiments.
After splashdown, everyone gets some rehab time to get used to gravity again—Earth legs take a little practice!