This is how thousands of tons of steel meet the ocean for the first time 🚢 When a newly built ship is ready for launch, it’s placed on a cradle that rests on massive inclined slipways. These slipways are coated with special lubricants to reduce friction. At the precise moment, the supports are released and gravity takes control, sending the vessel sliding smoothly into the water. The process looks dramatic, but it’s one of the most controlled and calculated feats of maritime engineering. For sm