SpaceX Falcon9 with Crew Dragon capsule launch (Update: return splashdown @ 2:48 EDT 8/2/20) (1 Viewer)

I’m about to get a pretty nice ISS pass on the east coast (346 deg). Moon is half but clear skies.
 
I typically try to catch ISS passes if I’m in a place where it’s gonna be really visible. I’m in the NC mountains tonight and my app showed what looked like a good pass (clear sky 10:13 rise, perfect angle - a lot of moon but otherwise perfect) so I remembered to look for it. As it first came above the horizon I pulled my wife out to look at it (she thinks I’m a dork about it but tolerates it).

As it passed she said “what is that ahead of it??” And sure enough there was a small but bright thing in orbit with it just ahead of the ISS. We tracked it across most of the sky before it disappeared into the moon. I was trying to think of what it could be. After we went in I googled it- It was the SpaceX Dragon vehicle.




Another observer in NC saw it:

 
The last time US astronauts splashed down in a capsule was 1975.

 
We are watching. This is so exciting.

The launch was frickin amazing to watch. The tech is decades ahead of the space shuttle. And the way we can watch it now is just unbelievable. I
 
This (re-entry) is always the scariest part to me. That and liftoff I guess. I can’t imagine what the family members feel at this moment.
 
About 15 more minutes until splashdown just south of Pensacola.
 
Not since the Apollo program has NASA dropped some astronauts in the water. About 45 years ago!
 
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In blackout now.
 

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