Unexplained Missile Launched Off LA

[NeilSmith]

Ive seen airliners in the far distance that because of their route looked like they were going straight up but the contrails look nothing like this one. Ive not seen a contrail this long and looks so low to the ground. Besides , where in the hell would he be taking off from ?

[Adondo]

I was just looking at the video again.

Okay, we can rule out airplane, or at least a large multi-engine 'plane. If you can see the source, (e.g. the speck of the airplane itself) the contrails are split. They do merge together behind it a ways as the vapor trail widens out. If the 'plane is a four engine, you can see four trails if it's close enough or you use binoculars. (two sets of two closed spaced trails)

But, the one in the video just leaves one single big fat contrail behind it. I can't see even a military aircraft such as an F14 (or whatever, something with a single source tail nozzle, single or dual engines) leaving THAT LARGE of a trail behind it. The thing was large, very much like the satellite launching rocket they compared it too.

[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!