SpaceX Tuesday...

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MartG

20,700 posts

205 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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paolow said:
Minor bump - Spaceflight now reporting the weather is 70% favourable and the launch is planned for 17:55 (assumed eastern time)...
22:55 BST

Eric Mc

122,098 posts

266 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Blimey, it might be visible climbing up to orbit. It should cross the Atlantic in about 20 minutes.

AshVX220

5,929 posts

191 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Eric Mc said:
Blimey, it might be visible climbing up to orbit. It should cross the Atlantic in about 20 minutes.
Might be too far south though shouldn't it?

Eric Mc

122,098 posts

266 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Well, the space station passes almost directly overhead at 22.00 BST. The SpaceX launch is at 22.55 BST.

The ISS passes overhead the UK again at 23.37 BST and, although it will be slightly lower in the sky, it should still be readilly visible. I would assume that the Dragon will be ahead or behind the ISS. I don't know how many day it will take to catch up with the ISS, so it could initially be in a lower inclination orbit.

DoubleSix

11,718 posts

177 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Beautiful clear skys here.... are you saying if I make the Mrs stand out in the garden at 10:00pm she might be rewarded by seeing the spacestation?

Beati Dogu

8,902 posts

140 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Worth a try. It looks like it'll be a clear night. It's heading towards the northern coast of France currently.

http://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=25544#TOP


It takes around 2 days for Dragon to meet up with the ISS. The initial launch is more about matching the ISS's tremendous speed than its altitude. Then they step it up closer in stages.

This will also be the 100th launch from Pad 39A. The first one was Saturn V / Apollo 4 in 1967.


Meanwhile, over in French Guiana, an Ariane 5 is set to launch later tonight. The launch window opens at 00:45 Friday morning UK time.

It's carrying 2 communications satellites: ViaSat 2 & Eutelsat 172B.


Edited by Beati Dogu on Thursday 1st June 20:21

MartG

20,700 posts

205 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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callmedave

2,686 posts

146 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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DoubleSix said:
Beautiful clear skys here.... are you saying if I make the Mrs stand out in the garden at 10:00pm she might be rewarded by seeing the spacestation?
i watched it go over head pretty much bang on 22:00 was brightest I have ever seen it. Did you catch it?

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

255 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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MartG said:
How soon is this lol I always get confused on times

Beati Dogu

8,902 posts

140 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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RobDickinson said:
How soon is this lol I always get confused on times
10.55 pm

DoubleSix

11,718 posts

177 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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callmedave said:
DoubleSix said:
Beautiful clear skys here.... are you saying if I make the Mrs stand out in the garden at 10:00pm she might be rewarded by seeing the spacestation?
i watched it go over head pretty much bang on 22:00 was brightest I have ever seen it. Did you catch it?
Amazing! Yup, had the wife out in her pjs lol

Totally awesome thanks for the tip off guys.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

255 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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scrubbed due to weather

callmedave

2,686 posts

146 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Launch scrubbed

Possible lightning strikes. not sure on the next window.

Beati Dogu

8,902 posts

140 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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They've scrubbed it tonight sadly - due to lightning in the area.


Next attempt: Saturday at 10.07 pm (UK time)



Don't forget there's the Ariane 5 launch attempt later on if you want to stay up a couple more hours.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-v...

Edited by Beati Dogu on Thursday 1st June 22:44

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

238 months

Friday 2nd June 2017
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This is part of the 23:30 ISS pass last night.

It's a shame yesterday's launch was scrubbed as I think we would have had a good chance to see both objects close to each other high in the sky on the 4th (although the weather forecast where I am suggests cloudy skies for the next 7 days).

If it does launch on Saturday, there's still a chance we'll see them on the 6th around 22:30 as that's the highest the ISS is going to get before we lose sight of it completely after the 8th.

Sylvaforever

2,212 posts

99 months

Friday 2nd June 2017
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Observed both the ISS and a closing shuttle directly overhead once when in rural France, that was a big shouty moment indeed!!

Eric Mc

122,098 posts

266 months

Friday 2nd June 2017
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Same here (although from my back garden, not France). I also saw the Shuttle and the ISS flying in formation a couple of hours after the Shuttle had undocked.

As well as the Shuttle I've seen Progress and ATV craft chasing the ISS (the ATV is the now retired European resupply craft).

Beati Dogu

8,902 posts

140 months

Friday 2nd June 2017
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That's cool.

The ISS is the size of a football field and with those solar panels lit up it makes an inviting target for ground observers.

red_slr

17,282 posts

190 months

Saturday 3rd June 2017
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What time is it passing tonight?

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

238 months

Saturday 3rd June 2017
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23:26


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