Tony Rice explains SpaceX Starlink launch and what we saw in the sky
COUNTRY. AGAIN.
>> ANOTHER BATCH OF STARLINK
SATELLITES IS NOW FLOATING IN
SPACE JUST BEFORE 5 THIS
MORNING. SPACE X LAUNCHED
ANOTHER FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM
THE CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE
STATION. THE FALCON 9 0ST STAGE
RETURN TO EARTH AS PLANT ABOUT
8 MINUTES AFTER LIFTOFF SETTING
DOWN ON A DRONE SHIP IN THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN. WELL, THIS
MORNING'S LAUNCH CREATED QUITE
A BUZZ FROM SO MANY OF OUR
VIEWERS ALL ACROSS THE TRIANGLE
AND BEYOND. JOINING US TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE SKY IS
NASA AMBASSADOR TONY RICE.
TONY, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN A LOT
OF STARLINK LAUNCHES. SO THIS
IS OLD HAT TO YOU. BUT FOR US,
THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE
MORNING BECAUSE EVEN ON OUR
WRAL LIVE CAMERAS, WE COULD
THAT PATH AND WHAT YOU NOTICE
WAS THAT TRAIT THAT ROCKET
TRAIL WAS SO DEFINED. WHY WAS
IT?
>> YEAH, SO THIS HAPPENS JUST
ABOUT EVERY WEEK. THERE'S A
LAUNCH FROM CAPE CANAVERAL.
BUT THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE BIT
RARE BECAUSE OF WHEN IT
HAPPENED. SO WHAT YOU ARE
SEEING THERE WAS THE ROCKET
EXHAUST AND I'VE HEARD PEOPLE
DESCRIBE IT IS LOOKING A LITTLE
BIT LIKE A JELLYFISH. I THINK
IT'S A PRETTY GOOD DESCRIPTION.
IT NEVER GETS OLD HABITS.
BEAUTIFUL TO SEE IN THE SKY.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE AS
THAT ROCKET GETS HIGHER AND
HIGHER IN THE ATMOSPHERE THAT
EXHAUST EXPANDS BECAUSE THERE'S
LESS PRESSURE UP THERE. LIKE
I SAY, WE SEE HAPPENING ABOUT
EVERY WEEK. BUT THIS ONE WAS
RARE BECAUSE OF WHEN IT
HAPPENED WHEN THESE LAUNCHES
OCCUR IN THE HOUR AFTER SUNSET
OR IN THIS CASE BEFORE SUNRISE
STILL DARK DOWN HERE ON THE
GROUND, REALLY KIND OF DARK IN
THE SKY. BUT THE SUNS JUST HIGH
ENOUGH TO CATCH THAT ROCKET
EXHAUST AND LUMINAID SO REALLY
STANDS OUT AND WE CAN REALLY
SEE IT.
>> AND WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF
ALL THESE LAUNCHES EVERY WEEK?
WHAT'S OCEAN FOR THIS? RIGHT?
THIS PARTICULAR LAUNCH WAS WITH
THE STARLINK SATELLITES, WHICH
IS PROVIDING INTERNET SERVICE
OTHERS, ABOUT 6,000 OF THEM
UP THERE.
>> SPACEX PLANS TO PUT OVER
42,000. THIS ONE HAD ABOUT 60
OF THEM THAT ARE ALL GOING TO
BE PUT INTO ORBIT. WE'LL HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THOSE
PARTICULAR SATELLITES, THE ONES
THAT WERE LAUNCHED THIS MORNING
TOMORROW, A LITTLE BIT AFTER
05:00AM. IF YOU TOMORROW
MORNING, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE
SAME TIME ON FRIDAY MORNING,
THEY WILL LOOK LIKE A STRING OF
PEARLS LIKE A STRING OF SEVERAL
LIGHTS MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS
THE SKY.
>> REALLY QUICKLY, WHEN LIKE
BEASTS, WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE
THIS AGAIN IN THE MORNING FOR
US. AND YEAH, IT ALL DEPENDS ON
WHEN THE LAUNCHES OCCUR.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE NEXT
ONE WILL HAPPEN, WHERE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL
HAPPEN. WE'LL DEFINITELY TRY
AND CATCH IT AND GIVE YOU SOME
SOME MORNING AHEAD OF TIME ON
WRAL DOT COM. ALL HAVE AN
ARTICLE UP A LITTLE BIT LATER
THIS AFTERNOON. MORE DETAILS ON
HOW YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS JUST
REALLY WHERE IS THE RIGHT
PLACE, THE RIGHT TIME ALONG
WITH TONY'S BLOG, A LOT OF THE
VIEWER PHOTOS VIEWER SENT AND
THOSE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS FROM
THIS MORNING. WE ALSO HAVE THAT
ON WRAL DOT COM. IN CASE YOU
WEREN'T UP TO WATCH IS QUITE