Numerous anxious Miami residents took to Facebook and Twitter to report strange lights in the sky early in the morning of September 2, until an explanation was proffered and alarm turned to awe.
Images captured by a shaky camera phone showed an inexpiable burst of light on that Wednesday morning, and social media was filled with speculation until an explanation was provided. What the early risers actually saw was a rare launch from Cape Canaveral of an Atlas 5 rocket.
Enterprising photographers who were lucky enough to get a shot of the Atlas 5 arc over Florida might very well choose to immortalize the event with the help of a postcard printing service.
At one time, launches from the Cape were fairly routine and residents of South Florida were accustomed to seeing “blast offs”. Conversely, since NASA ended its space shuttle program, the public has not had the opportunity to view launches, so the Atlas 5’s exit from Earth caught many by surprise.
The rocket, carrying a new Navy satellite system that is estimated to cost $7.6bn, took off a little after 6:00 am from Space Coast. The 21-story Atlas 5, with the satellite strapped to its nose, was operated by United Launch Alliance, a private company. The launch was originally scheduled for several days earlier, by was delayed until the remains of Tropical Storm Erika had vacated the area.
