VANDENBERG AIR FORCE SPACE, CALIFORNIA — SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket last Friday from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.
After the launch, social media was flooded with photos and video, with some speculating that the strange phenomenon could have been from a UFO. Even the CEO himself poked fun at the situation.
According to space and astronomy newsite Space.com, the rocket was carrying 10 Iridium[b] Next communications satellites into orbit. The launch was SpaceX's 18th and final mission of 2017. The impressive 18 successful launches became a new record for SpaceX, as it had never pulled off more than 8 successful orbital launches in a single year.