Florida
What was that strange light in the sky? It was a rocket, and you captured it
What was that strange streak in the sky early Thursday morning? It was a rocket launching from Cape Canaveral, and it has Floridians talking.
The Atlas V rocket is carrying the fifth Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. This type of satellite provides “high-secure jam-proof connectivity” between the U.S. and deployed military forces, according to the rocket’s website.
Early risers were able to witness the rocket blazing through the sky and hundreds took to social media to share their views.
Photos from the Bradenton Herald show some wicked golden streaks of light filling the sky. Kind of looks like Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth, doesn’t it?
Other pics make it look like a burst of blueish energy, like this one taken by Darlene Goff in Bradenton. Are we sure we didn’t witness some type of alien battle?
It was even spotted in Key West.
Originally scheduled to launch at 5:44 a.m., liftoff was delayed after the rocket experienced two technical issues. It officially took off at 6:13 a.m. and will be traveling through space on a six-hour mission to deliver the satellite, according to the United Launch Alliance.
The launch also marks the 80th Atlas V mission since its inaugural launch in 2002 and comes a day after the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
If you missed the launch, you can watch it on the United Launch Alliance’s Youtube.
This story was originally published August 8, 2019, 8:51 AM.
