terra firma

But the fear was that it would happen in space, when you’re 180 miles from terra firma and the nearest fire station.

That would only have been possible on terra firma, they say.

Thus began a protracted process of draining lakes and waterways to transform the glittering island city into a European-like capital planted on terra firma.

This is a miracle, a luxury of maritime technology that many of us who live at the edge of terra firma might, from daily familiarity, take for granted.

This degeneration, along with reduced muscle mass, is why astronauts must be carried from their capsules when they return to terra firma after a long mission.