Will SpaceX launch be visible from the UK? Know its trajectory in the UK

NASA is attempting its next manned mission with private company SpaceX by launching the Crew Dragon-Falcon 9. The space launch has been aborted once after unforeseeable weather conditions that did not match the requirements on May 27 launch and has been in preparation for a second attempt on May 30. The manned mission comes after eleven years since the last manned flight into space was sent by NASA. For space enthusiasts wondering if the manned flight will be visible from the UK and asking the question, "Will SpaceX launch be visible from the UK?", here we bring some clarity -

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Will SpaceX launch be visible from the UK?

According to NASA’s statement, the spacecraft is going to go around the earth in its own orbit. The spacecraft with two astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, would be distinctively visible from the UK as per a satellite tracker, Dr Marco Langbroek, who is based out of Netherlands. It is impossible to be seen by the naked eye during the day, but during the night there are slight possibilities of visibility with several conditions.

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Dr Marco shared the expected trajectory that the manned rocket will be passing through. The rocket will not be visible to the naked eye at the time. According to Dr Marco, the satellite might be visible while passing through the orbit for the second time. He added that the rocket might be visible after the sun is set or towards the dusk as when the sun is up it will not be directly visible.

SpaceX launch time UK

According to Dr Marco Langbroek, SpaceX can be seen with minimum visibility from the southern UK. However, it will be a difficult task to see it by the 22:17 hours in BST that is 2:47 am Sunday in Indian Standard Time or IST. Dr Marco Langbroek also said that around 22:00 in BST that is 2:30 am Sunday in Indian Standard Time or IST both SpaceX’s Crew Dragon-Falcon 9 and International Space Station can be observed from the UK.

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No firm decision over the launch yet

NASA and SpaceX’s  Crew Dragon-Falcon 9 was rescheduled for a May 30 attempt after the May 27 launch was aborted after weather conditions did not match the requirements for the launch. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine revealed in a Twitter post that the May 30 launch will be only done after assessing the risk factors related to weather conditions on the day. He said that there are no final decisions made for Saturday. The administration is still overlooking the weather conditions suited for the launch. NASA and SpaceX are jointly monitoring the situation. For May 30, the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 50% chance of favourable conditions at launch time and for May 31 it has predicted a 60% chance of favourable conditions at launch time, according to NASA's official website. 

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