Mystery 'missile' launched near L.A., not a threat to U.S.

Los Angeles - A KCBS news helicopter caught footage of a mysterious missile-type device zipping through the sky off the Southern California coast. The U.S. military and government deny involvement and claim the launched device doesn't pose a national security threat.

Government officials are still scratching their heads over an unknown "missile" launch caught by TV news cameras on Monday. What appeared to be a missile zoomed through the sky northwest of Catalina Island, around 35 miles west of Los Angeles. The L.A. Times reports officials with the Defense Department, the Navy and the Air Force "said they did not have any details on the object or its launch site. Pentagon officials said that initial indications were that the military was not involved." The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it was aware of the report on the device, and claimed "There is no indication of any threat to our nation," MSNBC reports. Scientists have a plausible explanation for the plume of smoke streaking across the sky. MSNBC wrote: Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard University who tracks suborbital launches, said that while the contrail appeared similar to those left in missile test launches, the more likely explanation was that it was simply a standard aircraft contrail that was captured on video from an unusual airborne angle.

The Federal Aviation Administration didn't approve any space launches in the area Monday, the L.A. Times found.