Atlas V Launch Failure ?

Well I had no clue that today NASA was launching an Atlas V. This morning, however I was in for quite the sight. I have video however I don't have time to upload it before work, but man what a sight. I looked up to see a huge illuminated tail like a comet coming down from the sky. Had me freaking out before I thought to go do a quick Google search. I will try to add the video when I get home today, but as big as this was and as noticable I'm sure there will be some on YouTube before I can post it. If you're in Orlando or the Cape Canaveral area you can still see the plume it left. With amazing vibrant colors in the morning sun. Figured I'd break the news first...pretty sure it was a failed launch. Hope the rocket didn't come down anywhere it wasn't supposed to.

Update - I have been trying to find news sources and so far all I see are successful launches...I'm not sure if they mean today's or not.

If it was successful what the hell did I see flying and smoking with a trail and nose like a comet.

Per NASA Spaceflight, the Atlas V launch today was a success. The payload is MUOS-4, the fourth in series of 5 military communication satellites called the Multi-User Objective System. The fifth satellite is expected to be launched in 2017.

a reply to: RickyD

After briefly looking up the Atlas V, could it possibly have been the first stage returning to Earth after being discarded?

I guess so...I've lived here for about 3 years now and never saw anything like I did this morning....this thing was huge in the sky. Like bigger than any fireball videos I've seen. Kinda reminded me about the vortex over Norway sized anomaly. If this is how it looks when it comes down that's pretty freaking cool.

Clouds were not cooperating here. Got to see like 5 seconds of glow before disappearing. But still made for a good morning view.


About 3 min into launch

originally posted by: einherjar008
a reply to: RickyD

After briefly looking up the Atlas V, could it possibly have been the first stage returning to Earth after being discarded?

Probably not - the first stage is pretty much empty of fuel and oxidizer after burnout, and re-enters too far out to sea to be visible to the naked eye. Sometimes weather conditions and time of day make launches more dramatic than they might be at other times of day or in other conditions. Also, the Atlas V 551 variant, which was used for this launch, was carrying 5 solid boosters in addition to the liquid-fueled RD-180 core engine; there was a lot of power on display this morning!

The #AtlasV hashtag is trending pretty hot on Twitter, and there are a bunch of nice pics up.

a reply to: RickyD

I will try to add the video when I get home today, but as big as this was and as noticeable I'm sure there will be some on YouTube before I can post it.

Since NASA claims the launch was successful (time stamp?) ,it has to be something else. I don't think boosters go high enough to burn up in the atmosphere upon reentry.

can't wait to see your video…

a reply to: RickyD

did it blow up?

Okay, here we go…

a reply to: intrptr

It was unmanned ?

a reply to: intrptr

monkeys....... so many monkeys.... everywhere monkeys.....

originally posted by: yulka
a reply to: intrptr

It was unmanned ?

I dunno… even if they told us it wasn't, I still wouldn't really know.

From where I'm sitting… all I see is screen.

ETA: As far as the YouTube, it looks like a successful launch. We can see the bright star of the launch vehicles engines continue after a stage burnout (the enormous bubble of cloud vapor), lit by the morning sun, high in the atmosphere.

a reply to: intrptr

are you the uploader?

originally posted by: yulka
a reply to: intrptr

are you the uploader?

No, I just did a search. OP said it was "big and noticeable", figured others captured it. Its great when its that easy to confirm a sighting of something.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: yulka
a reply to: intrptr

It was unmanned ?

I dunno… even if they told us it wasn't, I still wouldn't really know.

From where I'm sitting… all I see is screen.

ETA: As far as the YouTube, it looks like a successful launch. We can see the bright star of the launch vehicles engines continue after a stage burnout (the enormous bubble of cloud vapor), lit by the morning sun, high in the atmosphere.

The launch was of the fourth of five satellites in the Mobile-User Objective System (MUOS), a military communications satellite constellation. Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor, has a detailed description of the system here; the Wikipedia page is more readable.

As a geosynchronous communications satellite, the MUOS satellites are unmanned.

I watched it, and filmed it and thought ( even commenting while filming) that it did not go as expected, meaning, it blew up. Came in and turned on my TV and they said it was successful. Had me scratching my head.a reply to: RickyD

a reply to: RickyD

a reply to: PhloydPhan

Thanks, so we know its a not a UFO, comet or the end of the world… just the US military.

originally posted by: DarkGameGod

a reply to: RickyD

Fixed your link, hope you don't mind.

originally posted by: RickyD
If it was successful what the hell did I see flying and smoking with a trail and nose like a comet.

A rocket. It looks like a "comet" if the timing of the launch is right and it goes into sunlight while it's still dark on the ground. You can see the full plume expanding in the vacuum above earth.
pbs.twimg.com...:large
It looks like it's "going down" because it's getting farther away and it's mostly leveled off and building up speed horizontally. The trick to getting into orbit is not to just launch straight up, most of the energy is spent building up horizontal velocity so that the payload will fall around the curvature of earth in orbit.