At dawn on May 17, a bright white line appeared in the sky over at least seven U.S. states, leaving people curious. The event seen in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington, and New Mexico was later found to be caused by a Chinese rocket fuel dump in space.
The event occurred around 1:24 a.m. ET following the launch of China’s Zhuque-2E rocket, which deployed six satellites into low-Earth orbit. According to experts, the white streak was the result of a fuel dump at a high altitude of around 155 miles (250 km). The expelled fuel froze into small crystals, making a glowing ribbon that reflected sunlight and stayed visible in the sky for almost 10 minutes.
The Zhuque-2E, built by LandSpace, is a one-time launch vehicle that uses methalox, a mixture of liquid methane and liquid oxygen, which is cleaner and easier to store than traditional fuels. This latest launch marks another milestone in China’s growing expertise in methane-fueled spaceflight.
Photos from the western U.S. show the streak appearing near active auroras caused by a geomagnetic storm. At first, many thought it was STEVE, a type of aurora. However, astronomer Jonathan McDowell said it was the rocket’s fuel release that caused the bright light.
Similar light shows, known as “SpaceX spirals,” have been seen during Falcon 9 fuel dumps. They prove that space activities can create amazing sights that can be seen from far away.
As China improves its rocket technology, we may see more events like this, giving us new knowledge and beautiful sights from the ground.
