Two days ago, many Jacksonville locals reported sights of a fireball shooting through the sky. This bizarre event took place around 8 PM and unsurprisingly, people naturally assumed it was some kind of shooting star or even a UFO. News of this was documented on social media where people gave their own theories on the event as well as photos of the strange occurrence.

It turns out that the explanation for this visual spectacle is much more mundane than first thought. In short, this was a SpaceX launch that took place over the city. In this sense, it was yet another one of Elon Musk’s space adventures, and like the Starlink satellites, his technology got locals wondering in awe.

More specifically, this was the launch of the SpaceX operation from the Kennedy Space Center. This mission saw the deployment of the Falcon Heavy heavy-lift launch vehicle carrying the seventh-generation X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) at 11:01 p.m. EST.

While the specific objectives of OTV-7 remain classified, official statements have disclosed a focus on technological experimentation. The mission will utilize the X-37B’s reusable capabilities to test operations in diverse orbital regimes and conduct material exposure studies in the space environment.

Additionally, the launch marked the fifth successful deployment and recovery of the Falcon Heavy’s side boosters, previously utilized in missions USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and NASA’s Psyche mission.