The SpaceX Inspiration 4 landed back on earth on Saturday after a three day space trip. The company chose a nighttime water landing, like it did earlier this year for a NASA mission.

That landing was the first night water splashdown by a space capsule since 1968. On Saturday too, the crew splashed down on earth just minutes before sunset. But is the water landing safe for the astronauts, who are already battered by the extreme G-Force during the landing?

Also Read: Space X splashdown: The Inspiration4 crew returns to Earth, lands in ocean near Florida 

“There were some challenges post splashdown. Folks did not feel well, and you know, that is the way it is with a water landing, even if you are not deconditioned like we are going to be,” Doug Hurley, who flew NASA‘s first journey in the Crew Dragon capsule, said in 2020, according to the New York Times.

“There are bags if you need them, and we will have those handy. We will probably have some towels handy as well. And you know, if that needs to happen, it certainly would not be the first time that that has happened in a space vehicle,” he said, talking about vomiting as one of the challenges.

Also Read: A little twirling and some Ukulele: Here’s what the crew did on SpaceX’s spaceflight

But according to manager for NASA‘s Commercial Crew program Steve Stich, nighttime water landing has its advantages due to consistently calm nighttime weather at the splashdown site, ample moonlight and additional factors.

“When we weighed all those options, it just looked like this was the best time to come home,” Stich was quoted by the New York Times as saying to NASA TV earlier in the year.

Also Read: SpaceX launch: All about Inspiration4’s civilian crew

One of the additional factors Stich may be talking about is that during the night, there are very few private boats running around so that is one less headache for the crew. You would not want to hit an unsuspecting boat on your way home, would you? And SpaceX has had an experience with such conditions before.  In August 2020, more than a dozen boats turned up during the landing of first crewed capsule of the company.