SpaceX Launch Streaks Across Night Sky Over North Carolina

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch was seen illuminating the night sky over North Carolina in the early hours of July 3, after liftoff from Florida.

Wilmington resident Thomas Tilmon captured video of the stunning sight. “Incredible views of the launch this morning,” he said.

SpaceX said it launched 20 Starlink satellites into orbit to “act as cellphone towers in space.” Credit: @tomtilmon via Storyful

Video transcript

I had to put my hand there to block the street light.

This is from Wilmington, North Carolina.

We're about an hour from sunrise.

So obviously, the uh the second stage of the Falcon nine is seeing the sun as you can see.

That's incredible.

Trying to get out from under the stupid street light.

That is incredible.

This is the, this is a Falcon nine mission.

I'm assuming starlink satellites.

This is from Wilmington, North Carolina on the coast of North Carolina just uh just north of Myrtle Beach.

So it's like stage separation happens over Charleston.

And if I was at the beach, we could see the entry burn on the first stage, but the landing burns just over the horizon from Wilmington.

But that's incredible.

It's passing by either.

I don't know.

I don't know if that's Saturn or Jupiter in, in the moon.

I'm not sure.

But that's incredible.

Sorry.

My fingers were in the way there.

I was trying to block that street light, but that is an incredible, incredible view of look.

How long that look, how long the con is.

That is insane.

Spacex people.

If people knew what they were missing, it's just incredible how much light that is.