Space Launch: Splashdown

NASA and SpaceX have launched the first crewed mission from US soil in nearly a decade, marking a historic return to domestic human spaceflight. The programme provides behind‑the‑scenes footage of the SpaceX Dragon capsule’s splashdown and recovery, as it touches down in the Atlantic Ocean.

Space Launch: Splashdown is a one‑off television programme that documents a historic spaceflight event. Classified as a programme rather than a series, it presents a focused look at a single mission, offering viewers an inside perspective on a milestone in American space travel. The core of the broadcast follows NASA and SpaceX as they carry out the first crewed launch from US soil in almost a decade. The episode captures the build‑up to the liftoff, the moment the rocket clears the pad, and the early phases of the flight, highlighting the significance of returning crewed launches to American ground. Beyond the launch itself, the show turns its camera to the water landing of the SpaceX Dragon capsule. It provides behind‑the‑scenes footage of the splashdown process, showing how the capsule is recovered and the procedures that ensure the crew’s safe return to the ocean. Overall, Space Launch: Splashdown gives audiences a concise yet detailed glimpse of both the historic launch and the subsequent splashdown, stitching together the excitement of the ascent with the meticulous work that follows the capsule’s return to water. The programme aims to let viewers experience the full arc of the mission without the need for a longer series format.