Internet Abuzz as Mysterious UFO Appears in SpaceX Explosion Footage

Recently, some UFO enthusiasts stumbled upon footage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket undergoing a test-firing, which ended in an explosion. They couldn't resist elevating it to sci-fi status by claiming the sighting of an enigmatic flying object.

The most compelling footage of the rocket explosion comes courtesy of the nonprofit video production company US Launch Report. Using a zoom lens from a safe distance, they captured the video, which has garnered nearly 5 million views on YouTube since its release on September 1. The video's comments section is brimming with UFO speculations.

In reality, the flying object is indeed genuine. Slowing down the video reveals a dark object traversing the screen, originating from the right-hand side and moving towards the rocket on its platform. Subsequently, the Falcon 9 meets its explosive fate. Technically speaking, the mysterious object qualifies as a UFO—it's unidentified, it's flying, and it's an object.

However, some of the more extravagant online theories propose that the object was the handiwork of aliens or even a drone attack. Here's a list of far more plausible explanations: a bird, a fly, a frisbee, a distant airplane.

Personally, I align with Team Bird, and it seems I'm not alone. Mike Wagner, a producer at US Launch Report, shared his perspective on Sunday via Twitter: "#SpaceX anomaly, apparently all the UFO folks have never seen a bird."

For a fun exercise, rewatch the video and tally the number of "UFOs" both before and after the explosion. I counted more than 50 flying objects, with most being clearly identifiable as distant birds and some resembling insects darting closer to the camera. This renders the UFO attack theory about as credible as a chupacabra sighting.