HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Virginians who spotted a glowing light streaking across the early morning sky Saturday weren’t seeing a UFO — it was a SpaceX rocket.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 5:01 a.m. on July 26, according to Spaceflight Now.
The rocket carried 28 Starlink satellites, which were deployed about an hour after launch, SpaceX said in a social media post.
The sight left many across Hampton Roads and beyond grabbing their phones. WTKR News 3 viewers shared pictures and video of the bright light from across the region, with some describing it as a “glowing orb” or “a comet-like streak.”
This mission contributes to a major milestone in spaceflight. More than 8,000 satellites have been launched this year — and the July 26 mission helped push that number past the record for any single year.
Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet network, aimed at expanding high-speed broadband access worldwide.
