East Coast sky lights up as Starliner spacecraft launches, then suffers systems error

A streak of fire that closely resembled a low-flying comet blazed across the East Coast early Friday, as Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launched shortly after 6:30 a.m.

Space.com called the Starliner’s first mission to the Space Station “historic,” but NASA noted the unmanned craft was having issues shortly after takeoff.

What caused the automated systems error is not yet known, but timing was thrown off just as the craft was trying to achieve an “orbital burn,” NASA officials said at a press conference.

The mission’s planned docking with the International Space Station is now canceled, NASA said at a Friday press conference.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted that the craft “burned more fuel than anticipated to maintain precise control.”

Starliner is currently in a “safe orbit,” officials said. However, it was decided the craft should return to earth in 48 hours for safety reasons and to make sure it could land at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.

However, Bridenstine stressed that — had a live crew been aboard — it would not have been endangered by the systems error.

“We did have, obviously, some challenges today,” he said at the press conference. “A lot of things went right and this is in effect why we test. ... This is not the end.”

NASA is a key player in Boeing’s program to conquer space travel.

“Today’s launch of (the) Starliner spacecraft marks a critical milestone for our Commercial Crew Program that will launch NASA Astronauts to space on American spacecraft from U.S. soil,” NASA tweeted.

The National Weather Service in Columbia, South Carolina, was among the hundreds to post photos of the launch on social media and encouraged others to share their own photos.

Within minutes, photos and videos of the frightening looking fire in the sky were submitted from towns all across the eastern part of the state.

“All we can say is...wow!” posted the National Weather Service in Columbia.

This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 8:55 AM.