Inspiration4 Spacecraft Widely Visible Across U.S. Skies Tonight

The SpaceX Inspiration4 crew during a launch day rehearsal, From left:  Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman, and Hayley Arceneaux. Space X, CC0

By now you will have heard of the Inspiration4 orbiting spacecraft that's ferrying a crew of four civilians around the planet every 96 minutes. Although they all trained for six months for the flight, the ship is run by computer. The primary goal of the mission is to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Wednesday night's launch went flawlessly, with the spacecraft currently orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 360 miles (580 km) and inclination of 51.6°. That steep tilt, identical to the space station's inclination, means that the craft is widely visible from many locations on the ground. The only down side is that it splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida sometime on Saturday or Sunday, September 18-19. That leaves just one or two nights to see it.

I had hoped to spot Inspiration4 last night, but a thunderstorm rolled in. Tonight looks better. Below you'll find the times of visibility and the capsule's path across the evening sky for several locations. For your particular city, go to Heavens Above  and set your location by clicking the Change Your Observation Location link on the left side of the page. Then return to the home page and click on the Inspiration "new" link.

You'll then see a short list of visible passes. Click the date for a map with times showing the spacecraft's path across the night sky. Inspiration4 will be widely visible from North American and European locations at dusk tonight and possibly Saturday night. Click here for Twitter updates and current photos from the mission.

Did you know that between SpaceX and the International Space Station there are currently 11 people in outer space. Yesterday, before the Chinese astronauts returned from the Tiangong space station there were 14!

Finally, from some locations the space station will cross at nearly the same time and along a similar path as the SpaceX craft. For instance, from Chicago and Duluth, Minn., Inspiration4 precedes the ISS by only about a minute, so both will be visible simultaneously. Click the ISS link at Heavens Above to get space station pass times and make sure you're out a few minutes in advance of the passes to get oriented.

The spacecraft and crew will make a bright pass (maximum magnitude 0.6) over Duluth, Minn. Friday evening, September 17 from about 8:46-52 p.m. It will first appear in the southwest and travel east across the southern sky. Heavens Above / Chris Peat

This will be the view from the Chicago, Ill. area. All the maps show the entire, dome-like sky flattened into a circle. The center of the circle is the point directly overhead; the outer edge is the horizon. Heavens Above / Chris Peat

Atlanta, Georgia has an exceptional pass almost directly overhead. Heavens Above / Chris Peat

The view from Seattle. Heavens Above / Chris Peat

The path Inspiration4 will take over the Denver region. Heavens Above / Chris Peat

Comments

  1. bkellyskySeptember 18, 2021 at 12:00 PM

    Did you see it? We were cloudy with light rain at the time in NYC. Then, there's SpaceX making an engine burn to change their apogee late afternoon that likely changed the overflight time. -bob kelly (bkellysky)

    ReplyDelete

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