SpaceX to attempt first night splashdown since Apollo 8 in 1968
Capitalism in space: Because of weather delays, SpaceX will now attempt the splashdown of Resilience carrying four astronauts from ISS in the predawn hours tomorrow, the first nighttime splashdown in more than a half century, since Apollo 8 in 1968.
Resilience will undock from ISS tonight at 8:35 pm (Eastern), and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico at 2:57 am (Eastern).
This will also be only the third nighttime landing ever. Besides Apollo 8, which was planned, in 1976 Soyuz 23 failed to dock with the Soviet Union’s Salyut 5 station and came home after only two days in space. That unplanned landing also turned out to be the first and only manned splashdown ever in Russian history, as the capsule landed on frozen Lake Tengiz in Kazakhstan, breaking through the ice, during a blizzard. The two astronauts were safely recovered, though their return to Earth was far from pleasant.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Capitalism in space: Because of weather delays, SpaceX will now attempt the splashdown of Resilience carrying four astronauts from ISS in the predawn hours tomorrow, the first nighttime splashdown in more than a half century, since Apollo 8 in 1968.
Resilience will undock from ISS tonight at 8:35 pm (Eastern), and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico at 2:57 am (Eastern).
This will also be only the third nighttime landing ever. Besides Apollo 8, which was planned, in 1976 Soyuz 23 failed to dock with the Soviet Union’s Salyut 5 station and came home after only two days in space. That unplanned landing also turned out to be the first and only manned splashdown ever in Russian history, as the capsule landed on frozen Lake Tengiz in Kazakhstan, breaking through the ice, during a blizzard. The two astronauts were safely recovered, though their return to Earth was far from pleasant.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Just read the Wiki on the mission. You can’t get any more Russian than that.
Can anyone recommend a good source of info on the ground track of the re-entering Dragon? I am temporarily at a location in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, near La Paz. I would like to determine whether Dragon will be visible here during re-entry.
Great question Ray. I’m in Northern California and was wondering if the re-entry might come by this far north.
I’m not an expert but the Dragon reentry track should be somewhat aligned with the ISS ground track. With splashdown in the eastern GOM just offshore of FL, it is probably going to be coming over Central America during the reentry. I’m just guessing.
@Tommy K: Re-entry from the s/w to NE coming over the Yucatan Peninsula.
What I have done is look at the Heavens-above website for ISS passes in the re-entry timeframe.
I found none for my locale, so I conclude that I will probably not see the Dragon either, because I am sure the Dragon will be in the same inclination, and slightly ahead or behind the ISS, depending on the maneuvers that are used in separating from the ISS. But I’ll be scanning the skies anyway.
It is remarkable how comparatively rare ISS passes are here at 24-ish degree north latitude, compared to the 48-ish north latitude I normally observe from! I believe this is due to the fact that at higher latitudes the ISS orbital track is more East-West, covering a broad swath of longitudes, but nearer the Equator is is steeply inclined at around 51 degrees, and thus a given longitude point las a lower probability of seeing a visible pass.
Guess who’s going be a regular feature here on BTB?
https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/kamala-harris-to-chair-national-space-council/
I bet the Zman never saw that coming.
God, this is going to get ugly (But I like her smile :)
They’re going to the gulf of Mexico, I’m hearing it’s the Panama City splashdown area.
Cotour: You obviously did not pay much attention. After the first National Space Council meeting under Trump, I stopped paying much attention to it. It was designed solely as a propaganda machine, so its meetings were garbage. Much more important were the larger decisions made outside that council.
It will be the same, in fact more so, under Biden.
Q:
Just watched the last 10 minutes of splash-down real quick, –>how far off the coast are we talking about?
Cotour/ Mr. Z.,
–Is this essentially one of those vice-presidential duty-things’, or what? (the national space council)
Cotour–
you’re starting to worry me, my man! Kamala, really?! (The AOC thing’ I can totally understand, she’s not my type but there is something to be said for youth and puppy-dog eyes.)
Kamala— well, I’d put forth a proposition:
We all know exactly what she is, we’re just negotiating the price. (so to speak)
———
here we go…
CBS News
Apollo 8 Splashdown 12-27-68
(cued to roughly the last 10 minutes)
https://youtu.be/aoh7EgpDp6A?t=1899
This, is really good.
NASA’s Space Tracking Ships
Scott Manley 4-15-21
https://youtu.be/fQFZyHWy4Vs
13:10
“During the 1950’s and 60’s the US converted a number of aging cargo ships into floating tracking stations to support the space program. About 20 of these would be converted to host multiple antennas and tons of electronics as well as mini versions of mission control which could operate independent of primary mission control if needed.”
Wayne:
I like to find something positive in most everyone. For instance, Stalin had one hell of a mustache. No?
Kamala, Leftist, racist and as dopey and as vacant as she is has a nice smile. And thats it for her, its got her a long way in her career. I don’t know where you are going with this but I think you might get yourself suspended for a week if you continue :)
Just another symbolic job for the no can do, know nothing about much of anything, 2% VP.
I for one am glad that they are keeping the national space council with the VP chairing it. I mean of course it doesn’t do much, but there are so many other terrible projects that a VP could otherwise work on – starting wars, destroying the energy sector, indoctrinating young kids, etc. I’d much prefer that they focus on something relatively positive even if their contribution is minimal.
@ pawn: I read the article, too, and concur.
“Yeah, well, landing a passenger jet on a river is cool, but let me tell you about *my* landing!”
Cotour–
Well, if recall correctly, she does have a lot of teeth.
–> sorta like Mr. Ed. (so to speak)
continuing on my apollo-8 theme…..
“The Future of Space Exploration & Apollo 8”
The Moore Show w/ Robert Zimmerman
May 2013
https://youtu.be/jSMnjT-OuJA
56:12