Part 7/10:
The Splashdown and Touchdown in the Indian Ocean
The climax of this historic day was the spacecraft's splashdown in a designated zone in the Indian Ocean, located northwest of Australia. The live footage from a buoy positioned at the landing zone revealed Starship gently descending onto the water, completing its descent with exceptional accuracy.
Cheers erupted among the observers as the capsule made contact with the ocean surface—proof that the re-entry and landing sequence had gone perfectly. This successful soft splashdown not only showcases the reliability of SpaceX’s thermal protection and landing systems but also paves the way for future missions, including Starship’s role in Mars colonization.