ISS and Boeing Starliner in approach - 20 May 2022

[Roberto]

Hello

Not a great picture of the ISS but an interesting one.  Was working on imaging it as at least two high altitude passes were forecast for London yesterday.  First two 2 with culmination >85Alt.

I didn't manage to capture the first pass at 9PM (BST) but noticed a bright object first trailing the ISS and then passing it as it set in the East.   It was the new Boeing Starliner module on a test flight:  NASA's page for Boeing Starliner

I managed to capture videos of the second pass (22:11UT) using a 94mm refractor coupled to an ASI462MC and the TEC250MC with an ASI174MM.   The number of frames on the West side was minimal and not of very good quality.  I managed to get the ISS to show in more frames on the East side and the Boeing Starliner module is obvious.  An animation of 70 frames from the TEC250MC video (playing at 15fps vs 84fps native) also in one of the versions.

For all versions see here:  Astrobin's page with details and more pictures

Roberto





Here's another article with pictures taken by the astronauts of the ISS as the module approached:  https://www.space.com/boeing-starliner-spacecraft-docking-astronaut-photos-oft2

[Rick]

Cool!

[ApophisAstros]

That is SOOOO cool Roberto.
Roger

[Roberto]

Thank you!  And a very lucky catch as I was not intending to capture the docking at all.  It was very surprising to see "another bright satellite" fly past the ISS as the first transitted; it was in a parallel orbit but going much faster - at least 3x the speed of the ISS.  I assume it was still climbing up to achieve orbit.  By the next pass, 2 hrs later, it was going at the same speed!

Roberto

[Hugh]

Just great! Quite took my breath away. Vid was the icing on the cake!

Fascinating and brilliant!

- Hugh

PS: Too many exclamation marks?