Observers across Florida's Space Coast reported a bright streak in the sky on Nov. 8 that looked like a fireball or re-entering object. SpaceX confirmed the sighting was not tied to a scrubbed Falcon 9 launch that morning. The article places the sighting in context by describing earlier out-of-state visibility of SpaceX's Oct. 13 Starship launch and the March 6 Starship test failure, which scattered debris seen as far away as Florida. Officials attribute the March 6 failure to an upper-stage Raptor engine issue that led to unintended propellant mixing and ignition.
Fireball Over Florida Was Not a SpaceX Rocket — What Witnesses Saw and Why
Observers across Florida's Space Coast reported a bright streak in the sky on Nov. 8 that looked like a fireball or re-entering object. SpaceX confirmed the sighting was not tied to a scrubbed Falcon 9 launch that morning. The article places the sighting in context by describing earlier out-of-state visibility of SpaceX's Oct. 13 Starship launch and the March 6 Starship test failure, which scattered debris seen as far away as Florida. Officials attribute the March 6 failure to an upper-stage Raptor engine issue that led to unintended propellant mixing and ignition.
18:21, 09.11.2025Science
Bright fireball seen across the Space Coast; officials say it wasn't a SpaceX rocket
Early on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 8, observers across Florida's Space Coast reported a bright streak crossing the sky that looked like a fireball or a re-entering object. The phenomenon was visible from Kennedy Space Center to Ormond Beach and Palm Coast and drew photos and videos shared on social media.
What witnesses reported
At about 6:15 a.m., people at the Merritt Island Wildlife Preserve in Titusville described seeing objects that appeared to be re-entering the atmosphere. Photographer Richard P. Gallagher told FLORIDA TODAY the lights looked like "shooting star objects." Just before 6:20 a.m., FLORIDA TODAY Executive Editor Mara Bellaby, out for a morning run on Merritt Island, said she saw what looked like a satellite fragmenting and leaving a bright trail across the sky.
Not related to the scrubbed Falcon 9 launch
SpaceX had planned a Falcon 9 launch for 7:10 a.m. that morning, but the attempt was scrubbed because of poor downrange weather. SpaceX confirmed the fireball sighting was not tied to that Falcon 9 attempt and there was no rocket explosion. A replacement launch window was scheduled for the following day.
Why Florida sees so many rocket displays
Florida's "Space Coast" — home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — regularly hosts rocket launches visible across wide areas depending on weather and trajectory. Under the right conditions, contrails or streaks from launches can be seen as far north as Jacksonville and Daytona Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach (roughly 150 miles from Cape Canaveral).
Recent out-of-state launches visible in Florida
Although uncommon, launches from outside Florida have been seen in the Sunshine State. On Oct. 13, 2025, SpaceX's Starship launched from Starbase in South Texas and was visible in parts of Florida. The fully stacked Starship system stands about 403 feet tall when combined with its Super Heavy booster.
Residents in Palm Beach County — including Marcy Davis, Katy Soto and Melissa Singer — reported seeing the Starship on Oct. 13 and initially mistook it for a meteor or other bright object. Journalists across the USA TODAY Network–Florida also captured the launch as it passed over the state.
The March 6 Starship test and debris sightings
On March 6, 2025, a Starship test flight from Starbase experienced a failure when the upper portion of the vehicle exploded less than 10 minutes into flight. Debris and bright streaks from that event were visible from Florida to the Caribbean, and fragments were reported locally over West Palm Beach.
In a May 22 report to the Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX said flight controllers observed a "flash" near the bottom of the Starship upper stage about five-and-a-half minutes into ascent, followed by an "energetic event" that led to the failure of one Raptor engine. Within roughly two minutes, the remaining upper-stage Raptor engines shut down, the vehicle went off course and SpaceX concluded the vehicle triggered a self-destruct. SpaceX identified the most probable root cause as a hardware failure in an upper-stage Raptor engine that led to unintended propellant mixing and ignition.
Despite that upper-stage loss, the 232-foot Super Heavy booster from the March 6 flight returned to the launch area and was recovered with SpaceX's booster-capture technique using large mechanical arms commonly called "chopsticks."
Takeaway
While the Nov. 8 sighting alarmed some observers, officials and SpaceX confirmed the event was not a Falcon 9 launch or explosion. Bright streaks in the Florida sky can come from a variety of sources — natural meteors, re-entering satellites or distant rocket activity — and quick confirmation from launch operators or agencies helps clarify what people see.
(This story was updated with new information.)
Reporting note: This article draws on eyewitness accounts and public statements; original reporting appeared in FLORIDA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.