--- title: "Oklahomans Saw a Spiral-Shaped UFO, But It Turned Out to Be SpaceX" description: "At the end of January, Oklahomans were stunned by both an earthquake and an unidentified flying object that meteorologists believe to be a SpaceX rocket." date: "2022-02-03" modified: "2022-02-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spiral-ufo-spacex" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "rockets" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" - "ufos" --- # Oklahomans Saw a Spiral-Shaped UFO, But It Turned Out to Be SpaceX ![At the end of January, Oklahomans were stunned by both an earthquake and an unidentified flying object that meteorologists believe to be a SpaceX rocket.]() *\Image: Mike Collier via Twitter\* ## Look Up At the end of January, Oklahomans were stunned by both an earthquake and an unidentified flying object that meteorologists believe to be a SpaceX rocket. As [Tulsa's *FOX23* affiliate reports](), people in the Sooner State shot some pretty stunning videos and photos of the strange object in the skies above. Though it was launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral, *FOX23* meteorologist Laura Mock [tweeted that]() she's "pretty sure" the bizarre formation over Tulsa and Oklahoma City's night skies was none other than a SpaceX Falcon 9. She later told the TV station that, when she cross-checked the SpaceX livestream, she concluded that "this rocket would have flown very close to Oklahoma." "The rocket was going through \[its\] final orbital burn over the center of the country after already circling the globe once," Mock added. https://twitter.com/MikeCollierWX/status/1488323184764071938 ## I Want To Believe [According to Mike Collier](), the chief meteorologist for Tulsa's *KJRH*, the unique spiral pattern that appeared around the rocket was likely caused by the rocket's second stage fuel release mechanism. Given that th**e** spectacle occurred the same day as [a surprise earthquake]() rocked the entire region and, of course, the strange spiral formation surrounding it, it's no wonder people thought it wasn't terrestrial. https://twitter.com/BraxBanksOKWX/status/1488320417660030979 Interestingly enough, this isn't the first "UFO" sighting attributed to a SpaceX craft in the region. Last April, Oklahoma City's *KFOR* news station reported that the strange string of lights that, to be fair, [looks *very* different]() from this most recent sighting, [was in fact a series of SpaceX's Starlink satellites](). The company made headlines early last year when a [SpaceX craft had a close call]() with yet another unidentified object on its way to the International Space Station. The more launches SpaceX completes, the more terrestrial sky-watchers will get a chance to spot these fantastical crafts — and, if only for a little while, wonder whether the truth really is out there. **READ MORE:** [Reports of UFO sightings in Green Country have been verified as a SpaceX rocket]() \[*Fox23 Tulsa*\] **More SpaceX/UFO mashups:** [*SpaceX’s Spacecraft Just Had a Near Collision With an Unidentified Object*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()