H3-22 | Michibiki 7 (QZS-7) — what you saw in the sky & launch recap
This launch had a chance of a space-jellyfish plume
H3-22 Michibiki 7 lifted off in dawn twilight, with the Sun about 16° below the horizon at the pad. Our geometry model graded the jellyfish chance medium: the exhaust could climb into sunlight around T+4–5 min while the ground was still dark, which is the recipe for the glowing bell-and-tentacles cloud people photograph.
The grade is geometry, not a sighting report. Whether you saw the plume depended on clouds, your horizon and which direction you were facing, and a medium grade means the sky was bright enough, or the lit window short enough, to wash some of the glow out.
What a space jellyfish is, and how we predict it → · Every upcoming launch graded for a jellyfish →
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Liftoff time
- Aug 10, 2026, 7:23 PM UTC
- Aug 10, 2026, 3:23 PM Eastern
- Aug 10, 2026, 12:23 PM Pacific
Spotted by our members
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About the mission
QZSS (Quasi Zenith Satellite System) is a Japanese satellite navigation system operating from inclined, elliptical geosynchronous orbits to achieve optimal high-elevation visibility in urban canyons and mountainous areas. The navigation system objective is to broadcast GPS-interoperable and augmentation signals as well as original Japanese (QZSS) signals from a three-spacecraft constellation. The navigation system objective is to broadcast GPS-interoperable and augmentation signals as well as original Japanese (QZSS) signals from a three-spacecraft constellation in inclined, elliptical geosynchronous orbits.
Visibility map: how far away could you see it?
The shaded zones show where H3-22 was expected to be visible, following its modeled east flight path rather than a simple circle around the pad — a fair-or-better view reached roughly 850 miles out over land. Within about 89 miles the rocket clears the horizon in the first half-minute; by T+90s it is line-of-sight from roughly 305 miles. City dots are colored by the expected view quality; the table below has the direction to look from each.
Which cities could see this launch?
Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | Not visible | — | 5802 mi |
| Fresno, CA | Not visible | — | 5922 mi |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Not visible | — | 5939 mi |
| Pismo Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 5946 mi |
| Guadalupe, CA | Not visible | — | 5956 mi |
| Santa Maria, CA | Not visible | — | 5963 mi |
| Orcutt, CA | Not visible | — | 5966 mi |
| Vandenberg Village, CA | Not visible | — | 5971 mi |
| Lompoc, CA | Not visible | — | 5974 mi |
| Los Alamos, CA | Not visible | — | 5979 mi |
Show all 94 cities
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buellton, CA | Not visible | — | 5988 mi |
| Solvang, CA | Not visible | — | 5990 mi |
| Bakersfield, CA | Not visible | — | 6011 mi |
| Santa Barbara, CA | Not visible | — | 6018 mi |
| Ventura, CA | Not visible | — | 6043 mi |
| Oxnard, CA | Not visible | — | 6051 mi |
| Mojave, CA | Not visible | — | 6063 mi |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | Not visible | — | 6068 mi |
| Malibu, CA | Not visible | — | 6080 mi |
| Los Angeles, CA | Not visible | — | 6101 mi |
| Pasadena, CA | Not visible | — | 6101 mi |
| Long Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 6114 mi |
| San Diego, CA | Not visible | — | 6205 mi |
| Laredo, TX | Not visible | — | 7231 mi |
| Philadelphia, PA | Not visible | — | 7295 mi |
| Corpus Christi, TX | Not visible | — | 7304 mi |
| Baltimore, MD | Not visible | — | 7306 mi |
| Rockport, TX | Not visible | — | 7307 mi |
| Port Aransas, TX | Not visible | — | 7316 mi |
| Washington, DC | Not visible | — | 7320 mi |
| Annapolis, MD | Not visible | — | 7328 mi |
| Dover, DE | Not visible | — | 7338 mi |
| Ocean City, NJ | Not visible | — | 7350 mi |
| McAllen, TX | Not visible | — | 7351 mi |
| Cape May, NJ | Not visible | — | 7365 mi |
| Harlingen, TX | Not visible | — | 7374 mi |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | Not visible | — | 7375 mi |
| Salisbury, MD | Not visible | — | 7387 mi |
| Bayview, TX | Not visible | — | 7389 mi |
| Los Fresnos, TX | Not visible | — | 7389 mi |
| Laguna Vista, TX | Not visible | — | 7396 mi |
| Richmond, VA | Not visible | — | 7396 mi |
| Brownsville, TX | Not visible | — | 7397 mi |
| Berlin, MD | Not visible | — | 7397 mi |
| Ocean City, MD | Not visible | — | 7399 mi |
| Port Isabel, TX | Not visible | — | 7400 mi |
| South Padre Island, TX | Not visible | — | 7401 mi |
| Pocomoke City, MD | Not visible | — | 7406 mi |
| Chincoteague, VA | Not visible | — | 7419 mi |
| Wallops Island, VA | Not visible | — | 7423 mi |
| Onancock, VA | Not visible | — | 7424 mi |
| Exmore, VA | Not visible | — | 7434 mi |
| Cape Charles, VA | Not visible | — | 7446 mi |
| Newport News, VA | Not visible | — | 7447 mi |
| Norfolk, VA | Not visible | — | 7466 mi |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Not visible | — | 7473 mi |
| Grand Isle, LA | Not visible | — | 7512 mi |
| Gulf Shores, AL | Not visible | — | 7536 mi |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7551 mi |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Not visible | — | 7599 mi |
| Charleston, SC | Not visible | — | 7626 mi |
| Savannah, GA | Not visible | — | 7636 mi |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | Not visible | — | 7638 mi |
| Tallahassee, FL | Not visible | — | 7638 mi |
| Valdosta, GA | Not visible | — | 7646 mi |
| Brunswick, GA | Not visible | — | 7681 mi |
| Jacksonville, FL | Not visible | — | 7725 mi |
| Gainesville, FL | Not visible | — | 7745 mi |
| St. Augustine, FL | Not visible | — | 7761 mi |
| Palm Coast, FL | Not visible | — | 7783 mi |
| Daytona Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7811 mi |
| New Smyrna Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7824 mi |
| Sanford, FL | Not visible | — | 7828 mi |
| Orlando, FL | Not visible | — | 7840 mi |
| Tampa, FL | Not visible | — | 7842 mi |
| Mims, FL | Not visible | — | 7849 mi |
| Lakeland, FL | Not visible | — | 7852 mi |
| Titusville, FL | Not visible | — | 7853 mi |
| Kissimmee, FL | Not visible | — | 7854 mi |
| Port Canaveral, FL | Not visible | — | 7871 mi |
| Rockledge, FL | Not visible | — | 7872 mi |
| Merritt Island, FL | Not visible | — | 7872 mi |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7877 mi |
| Satellite Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7886 mi |
| Melbourne, FL | Not visible | — | 7891 mi |
| Indialantic, FL | Not visible | — | 7892 mi |
| Palm Bay, FL | Not visible | — | 7895 mi |
| Sebastian, FL | Not visible | — | 7911 mi |
| Vero Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7924 mi |
| Fort Pierce, FL | Not visible | — | 7937 mi |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Not visible | — | 7947 mi |
| West Palm Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 7990 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Not visible | — | 8023 mi |
| Miami, FL | Not visible | — | 8043 mi |
Where to look
A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.
What was that in the sky? FAQ
Why did this launch look like a glowing jellyfish?
Because it lifted off in dawn twilight: the ground was dark, but a few minutes into flight (around T+4–5 min) the exhaust plume climbed out of Earth’s shadow into sunlight and glowed against the dark sky. Our geometry model graded the jellyfish chance medium for this launch; whether you saw it depended on clouds, your horizon and the direction you were facing.
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Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated November 7, 2026.