Unexplained Missile Launched Off LA

[Sal-XK]

Jet engines don't leave contrails until they hit the super cold air of the atmosphere. Exhaust contrails usually occur at above 26,000 feet. where the temperature is below -40°F. So to cause a contrail like that from the surface speaks to the type of fuel being burned. Most likely a solid fuel (rocket Fuel) is being burned and no known air craft burns solid fuel in that way.

Now the other thing that confuses me is the speed at which the object seems to be moving. It is not moving fast enough or on the correct trajectory for leaving the atmosphere and entering space. It also way to big for a amateur rocket builder and also on the wrong trajectory that is normally associated with that hobby.

[El Comandante]

There is speculation that it was a US missile launched from a submarine in an attempt to demonstrate our capabilities while President Obama visited Asia. Kinda like saying don't even think about doing anything while I'm here because you'll find out how far our missiles can reach.

[Adondo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112161...news-security/

I feel all better now, don't you?

[El Comandante]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112161...news-security/

I feel all better now, don't you?

I don't know if I believe that. Think about it, after so many years of aviation why hasn't this happened more often where a contrail is confused with something else?

Sounds like Roswell all over again.

[Sal-XK]

Well that is wrong in so many ways. There are no single engine commercial jet aircraft (its a safety thing). The military has very few single engine jets them selves. Contrails like I said don't even start until 25k in the air. Now for the first time this sounds like a cover up.

[LWM]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112161...news-security/

I feel all better now, don't you?

Pentagon: Mystery 'missile' likely a plane
Review concludes vapor plume that streaked across Calif. sky probably came from aircraft

Reuters
updated 11/10/2010 1:45:04 PM ET 2010-11-10T18:45:04

WASHINGTON — A mystery vapor trail that was filmed off the coast of southern California and looked like a missile launch was likely caused by a plane, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, closing its case on the incident.

"With all the information that we have gathered over the last day and a half about this condensation trail ... we have no evidence to suggest that this was anything other than a contrail caused by an aircraft," said Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman.

The image was caught on tape by a KCBS news helicopter on Monday evening at rush hour. Video showed a billowing contrail apparently rising from the water about 35 miles west of Los Angeles and north of Catalina Island.

Contrails are created by streaks of condensation from the exhaust of jet aircraft flying at high altitudes.

Initial reports that the condensation trail appeared to be that of a missile prompted Defense Department officials to begin looking into the issue.
Video: Missile mystery an optical illusion?

Lapan said the Pentagon had tried to determine "whether our activities — missile, rocket, etc. — were the source of this."

It took 36 hours to investigate because officials had to talk to the different agencies and services that might have been involved — the Navy, Air Force, the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command as well as other U.S. agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration.
Story: U.S. sees no threat in alleged 'missile'

"It's a matter of ... running down all of those different leads," Lapan said. "I mean, going out and having everybody scrutinize everything that they had in terms of information to be able to piece together."

"Without getting into specifics, we have looked at lots of data sources," he said.

The ultimate conclusion?

"The Department of Defense ... is satisfied that the contrail was likely caused by an aircraft," Lapan said.

[LWM]

I call BS on the Government version of the facts!

[Sal-XK]

They say them selves that contrails appear at high altitudes. The contrail in the video starts well below the helicopter and I don't know of a helicopter that can get to 25k feet. Even if it could a news copter would not be doing much good at that height. You also see what looks like another copter in to foreground of the video which really shows how low the contrail really did start. Also putting the origin of this thing over water really puts this as a military thing. I just hope it was our military that did it.

[WanderingTs]

I worked in broadcast TV for almost 10 years. During that time, I logged hundreds of hours in a news copter of a network affiliate. Generally, news helicopters fly at 500 feet. This is due to VFR and FAA regulation. It is not always the case, but generally. One thing that does modify that altitude is other air traffic or heavy air traffic areas, and LA would be a high traffic area.

A talented (or sometimes untalented) photographer can make anything look like almost anything else, either on purpose, or sometimes by accident. Without getting too deep into things I am several years removed from and may not get the terminology right anymore, a combination of lens angle, light angle, filters, amount of zoom, and even the camera head itself can make a huge difference in the way things look. While it is slightly more difficult to play tricks during the day, it is not impossible. Just the odd angle of looking at something very ordinary can make it look mishapen or even longer, taller, or skinnier.

All that being said, it was SOMETHING. I also agree that the single engine jet thing is a load of hogwash. My only point is while the government may have an interest in covering things up, the media also has an interest in blowing things up (bad pun intended). Don't trust either side to tell you the truth about what they are selling.