That missile’s not mine

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… what, excatly? That’s been the question on everyone’s mind since a California news crew picked up footage on Monday of what looked like a missile flying through the scenic Pacific sunset. Some have speculated it was an accidental missile launch from a U.S. submarine, or an even ...

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… what, excatly? That’s been the question on everyone’s mind since a California news crew picked up footage on Monday of what looked like a missile flying through the scenic Pacific sunset.

Some have speculated it was an accidental missile launch from a U.S. submarine, or an even more daunting missile test from the Chinese navy.

A statement released by the Department of Defense adressed the mystery but did little to clarify, stating "We are aware of the unexplained [vapor trail]… at this time, we are unable to provide specific details."

As of yet, no officials are claiming responsibility for the launch, and the U.S. Air Force and Navy have denied any involvement. Despite concerted media digging, there is only a slew of speculation — but no solid answers.

I’m going with a "balloon boy returns" hypothesis.

Mohammad Sagha is an editoral researcher at Foreign Policy.

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