A mysterious fireball spotted in the UAE sky on Saturday was a satellite launched by SpaceX. At about 11pm, residents reported seeing a strange trail of light shooting across the Ras Al Khaimah sky. The unusual occurrence was caught on camera, prompting much speculation on social media as to what it was. But the fireball was later confirmed by the International Astronomical Centre to be a satellite launched by the American space company as part of its Starlink mission. “A bright light was seen in the sky of the UAE on Saturday September 5, 2020 at 11.05pm, which appeared to be heading from the North to the South,” the IAC said on Twitter. “It was a satellite that entered the atmosphere, named Starlink 40, which was launched on May 24, 2019, and is part of a satellite internet network for SpaceX.” SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk. Starlink is its project to provide a global broadband internet service. The satellite spotted over the UAE was one of the first sent up, in 2019. Scores more satellites have since blasted off and it is envisaged that thousands will from the Starlink network. The project has been criticised by some scientists who say the view of space is being distorted by the light the satellites emit. But SpaceX said it was working to make the light less bright.
