What were those lights in the sky? SpaceX satellite launch creates celestial sight

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Lights in the sky: SpaceX satellite launch creates celestial sight
SpaceX launched 60 communication satellites into a low orbit on Monday, creating the sight of a string of lights in the night sky.

It's not aliens.

From California to the East Coast, sky gazers reported seeing a string of unusual lights in the sky Monday evening.

SpaceX is reporting it launched 60 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Monday.

The satellites were initially deployed at a lower orbit - at an altitude of about 174 miles - making them more visible on Earth. But after company engineers reviewed the initial data, the satellites' thrusters were expected to push them up to a higher orbit.

The company describes the project's mission as helping develop a new broadband internet system.

"Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable," the company said.

SpaceX launched 60 communication satellites into a low orbit on Monday, creating the sight of a string of lights in the night sky.