--- description: SpaceX launched its final rocket of the year on Friday, which put on a spectacular show as it streaked across the night sky in Southern California title: People in L.A. Thought Last Night's SpaceX Launch Was Aliens image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60d8822d7ea3baa8/6988f677bc6cfc0faa3e47f0/spacex-falcon-rocket.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # People in L.A. Definitely Thought This SpaceX Rocket Launch Was Aliens by [Lisa Marie Segarra](/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 23, 2017 4:10 PM CUT  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying 10 Iridium voice and data relay satellites was seen throughout Southern California on Dec. 22, 2017 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying 10 Iridium voice and data relay satellites was seen throughout Southern California on Dec. 22, 2017Amanda Stiles via Reuters by [Lisa Marie Segarra](/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 23, 2017 4:10 PM CUT SpaceX launched its final rocket of the year on Friday, which put on a spectacular show as it streaked across the night sky in Southern California. But not everyone in L.A. got the memo about the rocket launch. Some thought it was aliens. Or worse. Social media users posted pictures of the rockets and speculated about what the lights in the sky could be – with opinions ranging from aliens to fairy godparents to Santa. > [](https://twitter.com/Yungasshat/status/944415858012536832) > [](https://twitter.com/realhartman/status/944414125978824705) > [](https://twitter.com/JoshLeviWorld/status/944397082646810624) Even as news that the lights were really a SpaceX launch spread, some still weren’t convinced. Twitter users speculated the explanation was a government cover-up.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying 10 Iridium voice and data relay satellites was seen throughout Southern California on Dec. 22, 2017 Danny Johnson via Reuters > [](https://twitter.com/CorinnaKopf/status/944457683393900545) > [](https://twitter.com/Devthecuban/status/944469545439383552) SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk also let himself have fun with the conspiracy theories and played along with the idea that aliens were lighting up the skies. > [](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/944382221435019264) Musk even implied the rocket was a “nuclear alien UFO from North Korea.” > [](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/944399853316055040)  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying 10 Iridium voice and data relay satellites was seen throughout Southern California on Dec. 22, 2017 Mike Eliason—Santa Barbara County Fire Dept/Reuters Musk also announced on Twitter that he was planning another launch for January. The next rocket will fire from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County – another chance for pyrotechnics over Southern California. Or, you know, aliens. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5078397/spacex-los-angeles-aliens/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5078397/spacex-los-angeles-aliens/"},"headline":"People in L.A. 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