Throughout the world people are attempting to isolate themselves and their families from the pandemic winding its deadly fingers through Twenty-first Century civilization. At the same time, in all countries, dedicated health professionals strive to repel the wretched consequences of Covid 19, often at great risk to themselves.
At 20hrs 45min and 30secs BST tonight, 29th March 2020, I reckon the International Space Station will be passing some 420 km overhead my house here on Exmoor in a just south of easterly direction. I’ve watched the ISS a few times this week, a shining bead of light traversing the sky in the last week’s clear nights. ( http://www.heavens-above.com ).
I don’t know how many or who are aboard at this time, but as our nation and the world population adjust to our isolation circumstance, the ISS crew are living their exalted isolation, a life they have trained for over years. They have one great asset, they can look out from their temporary home and see the world passing by beneath their flight, the same fascinating world as the Space Station has been looking down on for years.
Maybe there will be a subtle difference for the astronauts / cosmonauts at this time, less pollution in Earth’s atmosphere, less jet planes circling the globe, even if they can make it out, less movement in the cities, maybe less illumination in the nights they watch below their course.
Perhaps their isolation is a better set of circumstance than are those of their fellows they left behind for the duration of their voyage.