Missile launch off L.A. coast is mysteryby KTAR.com (November 9th, 2010 @ 10:05am)

LOS ANGELES -- A missile launch off the southern California coast was captured by a television helicopter camera Monday evening and its origin remained a mystery Tuesday.

Spokesmen for the Navy, Air Force, Defense Department and North American Aerospace Defense Command said they were looking into a video posted on the website of southern California television station KFMB.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Tuesday that officials can't confirm that there was a launch and if there was, by whom. He says officials are talking to the Air Force, Navy and NORAD as well as civil authorities who control and monitor air space.

KFMB showed video of the apparent missile to former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Robert Ellsworth, who is also a former Deputy Secretary of Defense.

"It's spectacular… It takes people's breath away," said Ellsworth, calling the projectile, "a big missile."

Ellsworth urged Americans to wait for definitive answers to come from the military.

The images were captured by the KCBS news helicopter in Los Angeles around sunset Monday evening. The location of the missile was about 35 miles out to sea, west of Los Angeles and north of Catalina Island.

A Navy spokesperson told KFMB it wasn't their missile. He said there was no Navy activity reported in the area Monday evening.

On Friday night, Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, launched a Delta II rocket, carrying an Italian satellite into orbit, but a sergeant at the base told KFMB there had been no launches since then.