China's reusable spacecraft Shenlong is due to make a series of passes over the United States from Oct. 30 into early November and may be visible to the naked eye in predawn skies, Space.com reported Friday, citing satellite-tracking site Heavens-Above and Spaceweather.com¹.

The craft is on its fourth orbital mission, Space.com said¹. China's space agency has described the work as tests of technologies that "will pave the way for more convenient and affordable round-trip methods," according to the report, which said little else is publicly known about the flight¹.

Under favorable conditions, Shenlong can be bright enough to see without binoculars, Space.com said, quoting Spaceweather.com¹. Many of the better U.S. viewing chances are before sunrise, the report said¹.

Heavens-Above listed high-elevation windows that include New York on Nov. 1 from about 5:20 to 5:28 a.m. EST at a maximum of 78 degrees, Chicago on Nov. 3 from 4:37 to 4:42 a.m. CST at 85 degrees, Denver on Nov. 2 from 5:05 to 5:12 a.m. MST at 73 degrees, and Los Angeles on Nov. 2 from 5:42 to 5:51 a.m. PST at 83 degrees, Space.com said¹. Times are local, approximate and account for the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 1, the report said¹.

Other passes include New York on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, Chicago on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, Denver on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3, and Los Angeles on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, according to the same Heavens-Above tables in Space.com¹. Visibility depends on weather, Space.com said¹.

Space.com said China has revealed relatively little about the mission and that the spacecraft has been seen interacting with other objects in orbit¹. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency recently released a photograph of Shenlong, the outlet reported¹.

Sources

1. Space.comChina's secretive space plane is flying over the US this week — here's how to see it for yourself7:45 AM

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