2015-11-07 - Poway, CA - Sphere

Strange light and trajectory of spherical object seen offshore west of San Diego,1805 PT, 7 Nov 2015.


((NUFORC Note: U. S. Navy missile launch. PD))


I just turned on to the street on which our house is located. Maplewood St Poway CA is a street that basically runs in a northeast to southwest direction and intersects with twin peaks. I was driving east on twin Peaks and turned right heading southwest on Maplewood. I noted a object streaking in a south to north direction through the sky maybe 30 Deg above the horizon leaving a trail that appeared to be 6-12 inches long, as compared to 2-3 fist lengths at arms length. The leading sphere was orange in color. My initial thoughts were a meteor as the object was not really changing elevation. As I was pulling into my driveway a time span from my first sighting, maybe 30 seconds the tail began to dissipate in length to no visible tail. At this point I had gotten out of my vehicle and was walking up to the front door. As I approached the door I yelled for my wife to come check it out as it was changing color from a burnt orange to white and had stopped ! tracking south to north and became stationary. The sphere became extremely bright white and hovered at a constant location with minor oscillations. This transition from moving object to stopped object changing color from orange to bright white was maybe 45 seconds. At this point my wife came outside and I showed her the object. The object then appeared to move in a westerly direction from stationary on a slightly upward trajectory but maybe only a 5 deg increase. It appeared to be moving away and the sphere began to decrease in diameter. There was a bright blue halo trailing the object which became oblong. Over a period of another 45-90 seconds the object continued to receded from our position. However the bluish contrail remained for a additional 5-30 seconds .

For some background I am a mechanical engineer. I worked at CCAFS in FL for a period of one year working for General Dynamics on the Atlas program. I have witnessed more that 6 night launches of vehicle ranging from Delta, Titan, Atlas II & Atlas V and STS. I have seen launches in dead night and near sunset and sunrise.

The brilliant white light which trailed away from our view location was unlike any propulsion system glow I have ever witnessed. The color and shape of the plume was unlike any chemical rocket plume. Additionally the brilliant white color was brighter and very consistent in color density. Again unlike any view I have ever witnessed in the launch industry.

What was out of place? 1. Transitioning from south to north travel at a constant horizon height to stopped. Tail to no tail and change of color.

2. Color of sphere or propulsion.

3. Unlike any medium to large chemical rocket launch I have ever witnessed.

No small missile launched off a military vessel displays this brilliant white propulsion system. I have witnessed launches from VAFB of Atlas, Peacekeeper and Delta from this same location on Maplewood over the years. What can I say I worked in the rocket industry so it was a pleasure to watch night launches especially if they occurred shortly after sunset as you would get good reflection of the vehicle and exhaust.

There is no way this was a military launch.