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Not A UFO. That Rocket You May Have Seen Was Secret Space Force Mission
Streaks from a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket illuminates the night sky after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sept 14, 2023.
(
Frederic J. Brown
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AFP via Getty Images
)
At around 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, when you glanced up at the night sky, chances are you saw a silver, curly contrail in the sky. No, that wasn’t a UFO.
It was a rocket launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base located in Santa Barbara County — and it was visible from San Juan Capistrano and Irvine to all the way in Arizona.
And the reason the rocket launch took us all by surprise? It was a secret mission of the United States Space Force, which was created by former president Donald Trump in 2019.
Through the mission, named VICTUS NOX, or "conquer the night" in Latin, the rocket was launched to test America’s ability to quickly respond in the event of a national security threat. Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, which owns the rocket, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to laud the success of the mission.
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The view from Bixby Knolls in Long Beach Thursday night.
(
Rene Lynch
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LAist
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“We launched our #AlphaRocket and deployed the satellite at the target destination following a 24-hour notice,” the company said in a tweet.
We did it y’all! Today was an incredible success for the Space Force, the Firefly team, and our nation after nailing the #VICTUSNOX responsive space mission. We launched our #AlphaRocket and deployed the satellite at the target destination following a 24-hour notice.…
— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) September 15, 2023
Firefly and payload provider Millennium Space Systems were on standby for six months for the mission, the company said on its website. When alerted by the U.S. Space Force, the companies had 60 hours to transport the rocket and the payload systems (specific radio technologies) to the base and check fueling capabilities.
Then, when alerted by the federal space force, they have 24 hours to launch the mission.
“The Firefly team will have 24 hours to update the trajectory and guidance software, encapsulate the payload, transport it to the pad, mate to Alpha, and stand ready to launch at the first available window,” the company described on its website.
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Alpha reached its target destination in low Earth orbit, where it then deployed the Millennium Space Systems satellite.
How social media responded
The highly visible rocket launch garnered A LOT of attention on social media:
This evening around 8PM in Irvine/Los Angeles, I filmed a rocket launch. I checked the Internet and NASA or SpaceX did not launch a rocket. Does anyone know what was that?@NASA @SpaceX #rocket #aerospace #engineering #irvine #LosAngeles https://t.co/iIXnW58C19
— Aleksandar Haber (@AleksandarHaber) September 15, 2023
First time seeing a rocket glow as it pierced through the night sky over Los Angeles. My astronaut dreams reignited tonight 😄 🚀 #California @Firefly_Space #spaceforce #NotSpaceX pic.twitter.com/B8J29xT8CE
— Froilan Fuentes (@froilanfuentes) September 15, 2023
From Pine, Arizona. pic.twitter.com/6qQ9p5mHHC
— Todd J (@Todd1966AF) September 15, 2023
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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