Mysterious Rocket Sightings Spark Intrigue Across Midwest

Mysterious Rocket Sightings Spark Intrigue Across Midwest - readd.org 2025

Reports of a bright object traversing the skies over Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois on Tuesday evening have ignited widespread speculation among residents and experts alike. Many initially hoping to view the Perseid meteor shower instead observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon captured in numerous videos and photographs shared across social media platforms.

Initial conjecture centered on the Vulcan rocket recently launched as part of its inaugural mission for the U.S. Space Force. United Launch Alliance celebrated the launch from Cape Canaveral Tuesday night, announcing the successful deployment of the USSF-106 spacecraft to geostationary orbit via Facebook. However, Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, indicated that the trajectory and timing of the Vulcan mission would not account for sightings reported across the Midwest.

According to CBS News, Pitts attributes the phenomenon to an Ariane 6 rocket launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) from Kourou, French Guiana, at approximately 9:37 p.m. local time. The ESA’s commercial partner, ArianeSpace, confirmed the launch. Pitts explained that the rocket’s flight path positioned it close enough to the East Coast for terrestrial observers to witness its ascent into orbit, carrying weather satellites as its payload.

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