March 29, 2024

Stargazers spot SpaceX’s Crew-2 Dragon streaking across the night sky in amazing photos

Crew-2s safe go back to Earth lit up the night sky over New Orleans and Florida on Tuesday (Nov. 9), wowing viewers with a sky show.The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down securely in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Pensacola, Florida, at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT on Nov. 9). In its last couple of minutes of the 199-day objective, it left a radiant path throughout re-entry noticeable to audiences underneath.Landing story: SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon pill splashes down in Gulf of MexicoImage 1 of 3SpaceXs Crew Dragon Endeavour is seen as it spots across the night sky before splashdown to return 4 Crew-2 astronauts to Earth with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida on Nov. 8, 2021. (Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) Image 2 of 3SpaceXs Crew Dragon Endeavour is viewed as it streaks across the night sky before splashdown to return four Crew-2 astronauts to Earth with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida on Nov. 8, 2021. (Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) Image 3 of 3SpaceXs Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour and its team of four astronauts crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida late Nov. 8, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TELEVISION) Just like a meteor, returning spacecraft are traveling at high speeds and compress the atmosphere simply ahead of them, triggering the atmosphere to radiance. If the sky is clear, the glow can be noticeable for lots of miles. ” Holy crap that was amazing!” a skywatcher named Christopher of Mandeville, Louisiana wrote on Twitter while sharing a picture of the reentry. The reentry zone was a particular treat for audiences in New Orleans, provided that the astronauts splashed down on the west side of the Florida. Throughout the area shuttle age, returning spacecraft typically landed in Florida closer to the eastern coast (Orlando location), towards the runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Audiences in the region shared their excitement on Twitter, as you can see below.HOLY CRAP THAT WAS AWESOME! I wish we wouldve gone to the lake but I just could not leave your home. For anyone who doesnt know that was @SpaceX Dragon. I messed up and hit picture and not video so a little upset but my boy did get a little video Ill install after. @NWSNewOrleans pic.twitter.com/67agrc4mOPNovember 9, 2021See moreCrew 2 occupants the Earths atmosphere. Welcome house @astro_kimbrough @Astro_Megan @Thom_astro @Aki_Hoshide As seen from Venice, LA at the end of the Mississippi River. pic.twitter.com/UsoY5uOJ3XNovember 9, 2021See morePlease reason the excitement and language. I was overloaded pic.twitter.com/1MkjLbcON6November 9, 2021See moreHow cool is this!? @SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor reentering the environment over the Gulf of Mexico visible over #Nola and SELA !! pic.twitter.com/9KSf2eNURTNovember 9, 2021See more #SpaceXs return tonight from the pass in Orange Beach! Very cool to watch #sonicboom #orangebeach #alabama @spann pic.twitter.com/KOQcp6pGjuNovember 9, 2021See moreCrew Dragon is a different reentry experience to that of the shuttle or the Soyuz, returning astronauts have reported. “It sounds like an animal,” NASA astronaut Bob Behnken when said of his Aug. 2, 2020 return throughout Demo-2. “The atmosphere makes noise; you can begin to hear that rumble outside the automobile,” he said.Another thing that makes Crew Dragon stand apart is its ability to arrive on water, which NASA astronauts had not experienced considering that the Apollo-Soyuz program of the 1975. All Americans because then returned on land, either on U.S. soil or in the steppes of Kazakhstan, when utilizing a Soyuz spacecraft (the primary astronaut taxi for the majority of the past decade). Team Dragon reentry over Starbase as seen on @NASASpaceflight Starbase Live.https:// t.co/ YhZS6pd0Ec pic.twitter.com/KVUavfjQtJNovember 9, 2021See moreSpace. Aint it something. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/KoUWrnepLcNovember 9, 2021See moreIn fact, seeing any returning spacecraft at all on U.S. soil is still a novelty provided that SpaceX just began to return astronauts again to Florida in 2020, following a nine-year space that occurred after the space shuttle bus programs retirement in 2011. Even experienced press reporters were blown away by the view of re-entry. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook..

Crew-2s safe return to Earth lit up the night sky over New Orleans and Florida on Tuesday (Nov. 9), wowing audiences with a sky show.The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour sprinkled down securely in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Pensacola, Florida, at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT on Nov. 9). In its last few minutes of the 199-day objective, it left a glowing path throughout re-entry visible to viewers underneath.Landing story: SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon pill sprinkles down in Gulf of MexicoImage 1 of 3SpaceXs Crew Dragon Endeavour is seen as it streaks throughout the night sky before splashdown to return 4 Crew-2 astronauts to Earth with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida on Nov. 8, 2021. I was overloaded pic.twitter.com/1MkjLbcON6November 9, 2021See moreHow cool is this!? @SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor reentering the environment over the Gulf of Mexico noticeable over #Nola and SELA !! pic.twitter.com/9KSf2eNURTNovember 9, 2021See more #SpaceXs return tonight from the pass in Orange Beach! Really cool to watch #sonicboom #orangebeach #alabama @spann pic.twitter.com/KOQcp6pGjuNovember 9, 2021See moreCrew Dragon is a various reentry experience to that of the shuttle bus or the Soyuz, returning astronauts have actually reported. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/KoUWrnepLcNovember 9, 2021See moreIn reality, seeing any returning spacecraft at all on U.S. soil is still a novelty provided that SpaceX just began to return astronauts again to Florida in 2020, following a nine-year gap that took place after the space shuttle bus programs retirement in 2011.