Soft landings are gentle landings that prevent damage to aircraft or spacecraft. Techniques include stopping the plane, using parachutes and flippers, firing rockets, and using specialized landing gear. Soft landings can also be achieved in fields or on water. Paragliders, hot air balloons, and parachutists also aim for soft landings to minimize injury and damage.
A soft landing is a landing in which an airplane or spacecraft lands gently, without being damaged. The opposite of a soft landing is a hard landing, in which the aircraft hits the ground hard, potentially damaging or injuring the passengers inside. Several different techniques are used to achieve soft landings, and most systems are redundant so that in the event of a failure, other systems will kick in to generate a soft landing.
To land successfully, anything from a bird to a large airplane needs to slow down, reduce its lift, and allow gravity to pull it gently toward Earth. Some of the ways this can be accomplished include stopping the plane, using parachutes and flippers to increase drag, and firing rockets to control descent. When the landing is successful, it should be soft, allowing the aircraft to gently descend to Earth.
Several aircraft have landing gear designed for this purpose. The landing gear consists of a set of rubber wheels that are designed to grip the runway when the plane stabilizes, creating more drag to slow the plane down. Rubber is also an excellent material for a soft landing because it has some flex and pliability, allowing the aircraft to bounce as it lands on the ground, rather than jolt. Some spacecraft, such as moon landings, use specialized feet in combination with rockets to gently descend to the moon’s surface.
Soft landings are easier when performed on a runway, because runways are specifically designed for takeoff and landing, with enough clearance to allow an aircraft to come to a complete stop. Depending on the consistency of a terrain, soft landings can also be achieved in fields, and highly skilled pilots can safely land an aircraft in a water emergency, with sidepods specifically designed for a soft landing on water.
Aircraft aren’t the only thing that can come in for a soft landing. Paragliders and paragliders also work to create a soft landing when they hit the ground, just like people in hot air balloons. Similarly, people who parachute jump out of airplanes, whether recreationally or professionally, are trained to make a soft landing to minimize the risk of injury when they hit the ground. In all cases, soft landing reduces the risk of injury and ensures that no damage occurs, so that the aircraft or device used for the flight can be used again.
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