Mysterious California 'Missile Launch' -- Really an Airliner Contrail?
That suggestion has not stopped lurid speculation in the media and on the Internet. Hot Air's Allahpundit suggests three theories about what caused the plume or vapor trail.
Our own military launched the missile.
The missile was a commercial launch.
Someone else launched the missile, perhaps the Chinese.
The military has already denied reports that it was an American missile launch and has pronounced itself baffled. A commentator for CBS has claimed that there was a notification for air traffic to avoid the area. Also, the area has seen previous US military missile tests.
The mysterious missile launch is unlikely to have been commercial, as a number of authorizations are needed to allow for such a launch.
The most ominous idea is that the missile, if it was a missile, was launched by a foreign power, likely from a submarine, perhaps by the Chinese. That would suggest that someone has possession of stealth technology that would allow a sub or some other vessel to park itself just over 30 miles from a major American city, launch a missile, and then depart all undetected.
The MO would suggest China, as it has been that country's habit in the past to conduct provocative weapons tests in order to intimidate potential enemies. A few years ago, the Chinese tested a space weapon that blew up one of its own satellites but also created a swarm of space debris that endangered space traffic for months.
Smart Planet suggests a more benign explanation, that of an airliner contrail seen in evening light from an unusual angle, making it appear to be the vapor trail of a missile in flight. There was a similar contrail spotted near San Clemente about a year ago consistent with the Los Angeles sighting. The article quotes Contrail Science:
"The idea that it's a missile launch comes from three misconceptions. Firstly that the trail is vertical - it's not, it's a horizontal trail, at around 32,000 feet (about six miles)...
"Secondly there's the misconception of direction, that it's flying away from the viewer, when it's actually flying towards the viewer. This is because the 'base' of the contrail seems wider than the tip. Perspective tells the brain that this mean the base is closer. But actually you can see the base has been greatly spread by the wind...
"Thirdly there's the idea that it goes all the way down to the ground. Now that might be true if the Earth was flat, but the Earth is round, and things go beneath the horizon eventually, no matter how high they are. A plane 200 miles away but five miles up is always below the horizon."
So, American missile launch, commercial missile launch, foreign missile launch, or just an airliner? The investigation continues.
Sources: The mysterious California missile launch that wasn't, John Herrman, Smart Planet, November 9th, 2010
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
Mysterious Missile Spotted of the California Coast Near Los AngelesA mysterious missile was spotted 35 miles off of the coast of California near Los Angeles. When asked, Pentagon officials said that there were to record of a test missile being...
Spiral Lights Over Norway Explained: Sub-Launched Missile Gone AwryIf the weird lights are indeed a missile spinning out of control over the water, why would a missile be launched in the first place?
China Finally Acknowledges Missile LaunchOn January 12, 2007 China unexpectedly launched an anti-satellite missle. Why did they wait nearly two weeks to acknowledge the action?- Screenwriting 2010Screenwriting 2010 can give any determined novice the dynamics and polishe of a seasoned pro.
Top Attractions in Los AngelesThrough my list of Los Angeles's top attractions you will get details on the must see locales in the area. Los Angeles is a huge county/city that incorporates many popular desti...
- Mystery Missile Launch Off California Has Pentagon Perplexed
- Mystery "Missile Launch" Near Los Angeles Stuns the Public
- Mystery Missile Reported Off California Coast a UFO? (Video)
- California Missile Mystery
- U.S. Missile Defense in the 21st Century: Part 2
- Missile Launch Over Pacific
- Norway Light was Failed Russian Missile Launch on December 9, 2009
31 Comments
Post a Commenthttp://www.wnd.com/?pageId=230425
Ive seen missle launches from Vandenberg in about the same vacinity as the mysterious plume and I can tell you that what was seen was most certainly a missle launch! Who ever sent it up....thank god it was pointed out to sea.
A few additional details that are not coincidental to the chinese missile theory.
1. China is royally pissed at getting screwed by the 75% devaluation of their dollar assets.
2. Missle launch was on the anniversary date of the chinese navy surfacing a sub in the midst of a US aircraft carrier battle group in 2007(not supposed to be possible).
3.Just happened to be during the G-20 summit where Geithner and bernaki were slamming chinese policy again.
4. Chinese have steadily escalated their rhetoric in public which is a sign that they will act in an overt manner to show they are not punks.
5. Thery still are pissed about Taiwan.
6. They are still pissed about the opium wars.
The over use of the word "Conspiracy"... Many have NO IDEA what the word means... (To plan an illegal action before acting on it)... Look in the dictionary.
Whatever it may be... An aircraft? And yet the Pentagon previously said none of the agencies near by could determine anything by radar that an aircraft had been flying.
Look CLOSELY to the trail, Notice a Vague Spiral in it... an aircraft would have no such thing. You have to pay close attention to it, just LOOK.
I'd say that if anything... it as a missile. Why the government chooses not to disclose the information is most likely to prevent panic, or knowledge of a test.
Ah, so now they know what the rest of us saw!
I'm still not buying it. That thing took off from a near-vertical angle. That's unusual for an airplane. The only thing with wings that can launch vertically are space shuttles and Harriers, but NASA is at the opposite end of the United States and Harriers take off horizontally for just a couple hundred feet straight up before they start flying straight ahead.
Sorry, Pentagon and NASA, but when it takes this long to explain something you should already know about, you leave a great deal of doubt.
Navy gave waring it was using missiles at this location and time a week before. se document below
http://www.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/NAV_PUBS/UNTM/201045/NtM_45-2010.pdf
From page 55.
"434/10(18).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
MISSILES.
1. INTERMITTENT MISSILE FIRING OPERATIONS 0001Z TO 2359Z
DAILY MONDAY THRU SUNDAY IN THE NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER
SEA RANGE. THE MAJORITY OF MISSILE FIRINGS TAKE PLACE
1400Z TO 2359Z AND 0001Z TO 0200Z DAILY MONDAY THRU FRIDAY
IN AREA BOUND BY
...
3. VESSELS INBOUND AND OUTBOUND FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PORTS
WILL CREATE THE LEAST INTERFERENCE TO FIRING OPERATIONS
DURING THE SPECIFIC PERIODS, AS WELL AS ENHANCE THE VESSEL'S SAFETY WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE VICINITY OF THE SEA RANGE
IF THEY WILL TRANSIT VIA THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL AND WITHIN
NINE MILES OFFSHORE VICINITY OF POINT MUGU OR CROSS THE AREA
SOUTHWEST OF SAN NICOLAS ISLAND BETWEEN SUNSET AND SUNRISE.
I want to know what exactly is mean't by a "commercial missle lauch"? Wasn't aware that private companies had missles as assets?
Have you seen a SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) launched from a Trident Sub?
The airplane doesn´t have that ascendant pattern or speed.
That was a solid-propelled rocket with a ballistic pattern launched by US Navy Trident Sub (Ohio Class).
If that missile was launched by foreign Sub, you would have seen all the US Navy anti-sub airplanes, helicopters and ships scanning the west cost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl37UZvFsz0&feature=fvsr|
Did any of you even bother to read the story posted above? It explains everything in great detail. I cannot believe any of you are still questiong "why it is coming from the ground". no missile, no conspiracy. get over it already.
The slowest missles travel at 4,132 mph. If that was a missle it would have been in and out of view of the camera man in a shorter time than he filmed it.