SpaceX Tuesday...

[Eric Mc]

2nd launch attempt just after 10.00 pm BST tonight.

[Beati Dogu]

Fingers crossed.


Hosted webcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URh-oPqjlM8

Technical webcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoOqqSIYpw

[DoubleSix]

So clear skies here but couldn't see ISS on pass just then... why is that?

[Beati Dogu]

Maybe the sun was at the wrong angle to reflect off the ISS' solar panels nicely. The earth being in the way rather.

[AdamC28]

The stage 1 landings never fail to impress. Great work SpaceX

[Beati Dogu]

Nice landing. Despite the giant insects.

[Caruso]

Bullseye!

[Eric Mc]

It should have been visible. Even with the panels not being at the best angle, you should still be able to see it.

I wonder if Dragon will be visible in the next few minutes.

[callmedave]

i dont think there will be a time when watching a first stage landing doesn't make my hairs stand on end. It is such an inspiring event!

Go Dragon
Go Falcon
Go Space X!

[K12beano]

AdamC28 said:

The stage 1 landings never fail to impress. Great work SpaceX

Agreed - spine-tingling to see every time!

[Beati Dogu]

Dragon should be flying over the UK at 10.25 pm apparently.

[eharding]

Eric Mc said:

It should have been visible. Even with the panels not being at the best angle, you should still be able to see it.

I wonder if Dragon will be visible in the next few minutes.

Would there have been two smaller reflections either side of it?

Edited: Referring to Dragon. Down in Devon, Near Tiverton. Saw a bright central light with two smaller reflections either side of it, moving fast west to east. Odd if it was an aircraft, no coloured navigation lights, strobes or beacon.

Edited by eharding on Saturday 3rd June 22:38

[Beati Dogu]

I'm not far from you. A couple of planes went by, but I didn't see any spacecraft. One plane flew right overhead from the south. I was checking on flight radar.

The moon is pretty bright and blotting out a lot of dimmer objects. Jupiter is quite bright as well along side it.

[Eric Mc]

The sky was obscured by cloud at the times when the ISS passed overhead and had not cleared in time to see the Dragon either. It's clear now - typical.

Dragon might be visible tomorrow and Monday as it chases the ISS.

[eharding]

Beati Dogu said:

I'm not far from you. A couple of planes went by, but I didn't see any spacecraft. One plane flew right overhead from the south. I was checking on flight radar.

The moon is pretty bright and blotting out a lot of dimmer objects. Jupiter is quite bright as well along side it.

Definately west to east. No engine noise either - could have been someone doing a night glide approach into Dunkeswell (good luck with that!). Agree about the moon and Jupiter being very bright.

On the plus side, was greeted with a lovely meteor north-south a few minutes beforehand - had just gone outside so eyes were not adjusted, must have been really bright, duration about half a second or so.

[Eric Mc]

Caught the meteor out of the corner of my eye. It must have been bright because I saw it through some thin cloud.

[DoubleSix]

Saw ISS on that pass but still like to know for sure why earlier pass was invisible in clear blue skies..,

[DoubleSix]

Incidentally, how common is it that ISS comes over like this?

[Eric Mc]

Very.

The ISS orbits the earth at an angle of about 51 degrees to the equator. This ensures that it pases over the UK a couple of times every day. However, most of these passes are not visible for various reasons -

the pass occurs in broad daylight

or

the pass occurs deep into the night which means that even though the sky may be dark and clear the ISS itself is in the earth's shadow and not lit by the sun.

However, for about a week at a go around ten times a year, the ISS will be visible over Britain. It is either going through a phase of passes where it is visible in the evening or it will go through a phase which makes it visible in the early hours of the morning.

This time of the year is best for visible passes because the sun never dips too far below the horizon as seen from the UK so the ISS remains lit by sunlight for longer.

Lots of other satellites are visible too although none are ever as bright as the ISS simply because the ISS is so huge.

[Beati Dogu]

Here's some nice footage of the Dragon going overhead, taken in Oxfordshire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qw-w31TVAE


As for the landing, Elon said the centre of the landing zone was painted with radio reflective paint, which helps the radar altimeter be more precise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x06dlM7xxT8&fe...