Good news, the ticket is for you! Bad news, it’s only a single…
SpaceX rockets & launches
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Not sure NASA a that impressed…
Cassini end of mission media went up yesterday. I’m going to be drinking on September 16th, and probably watching all the footage, ever. https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/overview/
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Losing Cassini will be like lose and old friend for me, I started to get in to rocket science and space when I saw the launch at the TV…
…that’s why I’m drinking.
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That’s a spectacular video 
It’s worth watching Wanderers by the same guy, which moves me to tears every time:
(fun fact: he also animated Crazy Frog)
I’m telling you. Come that day, it’s me, some booze, and all that footage.
This footage is amazing. They got the whole of the first stage in camera, at dawn, with little fluffy clouds; this is an edit but the whole thing is in the webcast.
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Tonight’s launch is to the ISS, with the booster returning to Cape Canaveral for the landing. What makes this launch exciting for us here in the UK is that [URL=‘https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/6cyjjo/heads_up_on_possible_rare_visible_pass_of_crs11/?sort=new’]we should be able to actually see the spacecraft in the sky[/URL], before it’s even made its first orbit.
Launch is scheduled for 22:55 tonight, and it should fly above Southern England/Northern France 18 minutes later. Look West at around 23:13 (but I’d give yourself a few minutes beforehand - this isn’t an accurate prediction), just to the right of the setting moon. Dragon should arc across the Southern sky for about 2m30s before disappearing into the Earth’s shadow. The discarded 2nd stage should be flying more or less in formation, having only separated 5 minutes prior.
And then because it’s headed to the ISS’s orbit, it means that you’ll see the ISS follow the same trajectory a little later at 23:33.
If you head outside earlier in the evening, you’ll be able to see the ISS make a very close overhead pass at 09:57, from West to East almost directly overhead for about 5 minutes. This is about as good a view as you can get from here.
Now, sod off clouds.
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Postponed due to lightning, trying again Saturday I believe. Will that launch be visible too? Or is that too much to ask?
It’s scheduled for 22:07 BST
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It’s so bright isn’t it? And the way it goes so much faster overhead than when it’s scooting along the horizon. You get a much better impression of that fact that it’s a football-pitch-sized vehicle moving at 17,000mph, 200 miles above your head.
Saturday’s launch should actually be an even better viewing opportunity. The launch window moves earlier by 20m every day, and the closer it is to local sunset, the longer it will be visible before going into shadow. It’s the timing that’s critical - nearly all ISS missions overfly us, but they have to be in the narrow time slot where it’s dark on the ground but still daylight up there. This slot is longer in the summer, so we really are in the best circumstances to see this.
Fingers crossed for clear skies!
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Where would you suggest the best place to view this would be? Obviously need unobstructed views to the west. Any ideas?
It’s not too important. Everything will be bright enough to cut through London’s light pollution so long as you’re not standing directly under a street light. Just be sure to have an unobstructed view to the West and South; the maximum elevation will be ~25° above South, where it will pass into shadow.
Local places with good Southwest-facing views include the top of Streatham Common and the main hill in Brockwell Park
The weather’s still not looking great at the cape, so it might be another no-show.
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Nice one. Hope the weather here and there is good on Saturday night. Would love to take the little’un out to see a real life rocket going into orbit. Ideally will watch the launch live on t’internet and then try to spot it in the sky afterwards. Fingers crossed!
The ISS going over about an hour earlier will be a sure thing, mind! 21:50 directly from West to East over your head. It’s unmistakeable.
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So it’s set. ISS. Stream the launch and then wait for the rocket. Sounds like a plan (weather dependent). Silly question, but what would we be looking for, rocket-wise? A fast moving dot of light?
Yes. The ISS is far brighter than any star and almost appears to have shape to the naked eye. Only Venus, the Moon and the Sun are brighter. The apparent speed varies depending on how high in the sky (and therefore how close) it is, but a bit faster than a high-altitude plane.
Dragon will be a lot dimmer, about as bright as Megrez in Ursa Major
Still totally visible in London on a clear night.
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Clear skies tonight, which means we should be able to see a rare treat: 3 spacecraft at once. The Cygnus cargo carrier has just departed the station, while the Dragon is on approach. I can’t predict the exact timing or fomation - they might be tightly bunched or they might follow each other. But the ISS itself will be doing this:
From 22:33 tonight
Ah! There’s goes one of dragon or Cygnus, I dont know which…
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