International Space Station will pass over West Sussex tonight

STARGAZERS in West Sussex could spot a space station passing overhead tonight (August 5) if they look up at just the right moment.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Aug 2015, 20:11 BST
International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, left, at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, left, at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)
International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, left, at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)

The International Space Station’s live tracker, available to view here shows the station should be passing above Chichester at 10.17pm.

At the time of writing (6.45pm) the space station is currently over South America and will orbit the Earth twice more at five miles per second before it crosses the Atlantic Ocean towards the United Kingdom.

The ISS orbits the Earth every 90 minutes.

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Chichester-born astronaut Tim Peake is scheduled to go to the ISS in December and has previously spoken to the Observer of his excitement at boarding the world-famous space station.

He is the first UK astronaut in more than 20 years and the first to visit.

According to NASA’s website: “The International Space Station is a unique place – a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth.”

The space station has been continuously occupied since November, 2000. In that time, more than 200 people from 15 countries have visited.

Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training inside the full-scale mockup of the Soyuz capsule, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104133001Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training inside the full-scale mockup of the Soyuz capsule, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104133001
Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training inside the full-scale mockup of the Soyuz capsule, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104133001
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Keep your eyes peeled towards the skies tonight as the moment draws near.

Email any pictures to [email protected] and if we receive enough we will upload a slideshow.

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Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104208001Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104208001
Chichester Astronaut Timothy Peake during training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia, on 15 October 2014. SUS-141224-104208001

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Related topics:Tim PeakeEarthChichesterObserverUnited Kingdom