Possible SpaceX Crew-1 Capsule Sighting Sat May 1

[petemn2004]

If the SpaceX Crew-1 splashes down as scheduled this Saturday May 1 there is a possibility of sighting the capsule that morning from the Twin Cities.

Per Heavens-Above the ISS should pass nearly overhead on Saturday morning May 1:

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Visible ISS Pass Prediction:

Date Magnitude
01 May -3.8

Start Time Start Elevation Start Direction (ISS sunrise in orbit)
04:16:16 45° WSW

Highest Time Highest Elevation Highest Direction
04:17:13 87° SSE

End Time End Elevation End Direction
04:20:37 10° ENE visible
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This is a nearly directly overhead pass not too long after morning twilight begins.

The ISS will be visible in the mornings for the next week or so.
Undocking is scheduled for this Friday April 30 at 4:44 PM.

Due to the way orbital mechanics works the SpaceX Crew-1 capsule will be in a lower orbit and traveling faster than the ISS after leaving it.The SpaceX Crew-1 capsule it will be ahead of the ISS and leading it in the sky. Not certain how far ahead in time it will be but it will be traveling in the same general path, WSW to ENE.

You can get a predictions and sky maps of the ISS passes from Heavens-Above.
https://www.heavens-above.com/main.aspx

I did see the Demo-Crew capsule last spring and it was much dimmer than the ISS.


Mark Petersen

[petemn2004]

No landing on Saturday May 1

Per Spaceflight.now:

Crew Dragon return postponed again by poor weather.

The space agency said late Thursday that wind conditions in the Gulf of Mexico remained unfavorable for the return of the Crew-1 mission.

“Mission teams from NASA and SpaceX will meet again on Friday to further review opportunities for the safe return of Crew-1,” NASA said. “Crew Dragon is in great health on the space station, and teams will continue to look for the optimal conditions for both splashdown and recovery.”