Thursday, September 14
VANDENBERG AFB, California — A rocket from Firefly Aerospace, an Austin-based startup space company, launched at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The rocket, carrying a 15 million dollar DOD top-secret payload, left behind a corkscrew smoke trail that was seen as far as Tucson.
All across SoCal, people gawked at the sight as the second stage separated from the first and blasted into Low-Earth-Orbit or LEO.
According to a press release from August, this was part of a “six-month hot standby” to launch a rocket at “an intentionally unknown time” from Vandenberg. Called VICTUS NOX, the mission was part of a joint operation between Millennium Space Systems, Firefly, and the Space Systems Command of the U.S. Space Force.
“The U.S.’s ability to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs is critical to our national defense, particularly in today’s evolving space environment,” Lt. Col. MacKenzie Birchenough in the press release said.
This is part of a longstanding relationship between the private sector and the DOD, from fighter jet platforms to military payloads – such as this particular launch – the private sector has collaborated extensively with the DOD. This is not the first secret payload launch, and likely won’t be the last.
Angel Ramirez, a senior, was walking home from band practice when he first saw the spectacle.
“Well, when I was walking home, I was pretty dead tired from our band rehearsal. We had a half-time show coming up the next day,” he explained.
“As I turned on 55th, I noticed a long, huge white streak across the sky. I was pretty baffled at the sight because there were no other clouds in the sky – it was a clear night.”
“I quickly took a few photos and shared them with my friends online; asking if there was a rocket launch. I went to social media for answers, and found out what it was – a rocket launch from Vandenberg.”
Ramirez’s story might have been unique, but for those who gazed up that September night, it was a shared experience — a lurid, white streak marking the heavens, a symbol of human progress.
The question remains, however: Did you see it?
