Burst of light spotted high above the clouds by Air Force crew identified as SpaceX rocket

An Air Force crew says unusual lights in the sky left them “dumbfounded.” As it turns out, the bizarre sight wound up being confirmed as the latest SpaceX payload shot into space.

Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca reports his team was “confused” after spotting the initially unidentified bloom of light from the deck of their huge transport aircraft on September 24.

“These pictures were taken at 37,000 feet from the flight deck of a C-17 Globemaster III somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean,” the 15th Airlift Squadron loadmaster explains, according to South West News Service.

SpaceX rocket launch at 37,000 feet.
SpaceX rocket launch at 37,000 feet. (Credit: Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca / SWNS)

“We saw it coming over the horizon and were really confused as to what it could be,” he adds. “At first we thought it was the Artemis Launch that keeps getting pushed back.”

The otherworldly encounter was identified as the SpaceX launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca.
THIS PICTURE: Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca. (Credit: SWNS)

“For us, the event lasted around ten minutes from start to finish. Truly a spectacle,” says Magliocca. “I’m a loadmaster on the C17 so my role is all things related to the cargo compartment of the aircraft. The pilots and my other load flying partner were absolutely dumbfounded. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will never forget it for as long as we live.”

On Saturday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.

SpaceX rocket launch at 37,000 feet.
SpaceX rocket launch at 37,000 feet. (Credit: Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca / SWNS)

Report by SWNS writer Dean Murray


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