Little green men, UFOs, intelligent life from another planet. There are some who don’t believe and then there are those of you, like me, who find it hard to believe that in the vastness of the universe, there aren’t other life forms out there.
So, whenever we see something strange in the night sky, true believers for a brief moment think – could this be it? Is this the day we make contact? Is this the day some of our questions about the universe and space and life get answered?
Well, I’m here to tell you that after last night’s light in the sky that a lot of you saw, today is not the day we make contact. Now, with that said, here is a great shot from Mike Baughman, who was outside watching for the International Space Station to pass overhead.
Also, some pretty stunning video shared by KWCH Chief Meterologist Ross Janssen from a viewer named Chelsie Koehn in McPherson.
Turns out it was the SpaceX Dragon capsule returning to Earth from the International Space Station. Here is more about the Dragon Capsule from Google’s AI “Bard”
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The SpaceX Dragon capsule is a reusable spacecraft designed to carry both cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It is the first commercial spacecraft to be certified by NASA to carry astronauts to the ISS.
The Dragon capsule is composed of two main sections: the pressurized section and the unpressurized section. The pressurized section is where the crew and cargo are housed. It has a volume of about 10 cubic meters and can accommodate up to seven astronauts. The unpressurized section is located at the bottom of the capsule and contains the propulsion system, the landing gear, and the heat shield.
The Dragon capsule is launched into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Once in orbit, the capsule can dock with the ISS using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The Dragon capsule can stay docked with the ISS for up to 21 days.
To return to Earth, the Dragon capsule undocks from the ISS and fires its thrusters to re-enter the atmosphere. The heat shield protects the capsule from the heat of re-entry. The capsule then splashes down in the ocean, where it is recovered by SpaceX.
The Dragon capsule has been used to deliver cargo to the ISS on 23 missions. It has also been used to carry astronauts to the ISS on two missions. The Dragon capsule is a reliable and versatile spacecraft that is playing a major role in the future of space exploration.
Here are some of the key features of the SpaceX Dragon capsule:
- Reusable: The Dragon capsule can be reused up to 10 times.
- Cargo capacity: The Dragon capsule can carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS.
- Crew capacity: The Dragon capsule can accommodate up to seven astronauts.
- Launch escape system: The Dragon capsule has a launch escape system that can quickly separate the spacecraft from the rocket in the event of an emergency.
- Splashdown recovery: The Dragon capsule can splash down in the ocean and be recovered by SpaceX.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule is a significant achievement in the development of commercial space flight. It is the first commercial spacecraft to be certified by NASA to carry astronauts to the ISS, and it is playing a major role in the future of space exploration.
