A stunning display of nature’s wrath was caught on camera when a lightning bolt struck a Russian rocket mere seconds after its launch on May 27. The incident occurred at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located in northern Russia, as the rocket embarked on a mission to deploy a replacement navigation satellite into orbit.
As the Roscosmos Soyuz 2-1b rocket ascended, it was hit by the lightning bolt, an event that was not only witnessed by onlookers but also documented by the rocket’s onboard instruments.
According to the Russian News Agency TASS, “During liftoff, lightning struck the nose fairing and the third stage of the carrier rocket, which was recorded by telemetric data transmitted from the rocket to the ground-based control center.”
Director of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, took to Twitter to share the video of the launch and the subsequent lightning strike, exuding confidence in the resilience of Russian space technology as he remarked, “Lightning is not an obstacle for you.”
Remarkably, the rocket continued its trajectory, completing a three-and-a-half-hour journey to successfully place the satellite into orbit as scheduled. A representative from the spaceport emphasized the robustness of their operations, asserting, “The launch was carried out in the normal mode. The weather is not an obstacle and we [the Space Force of Russia’s Aerospace Forces] are all-weather troops. This incident demonstrates that lightning cannot damage our aerospace weapons.”
The Titov Main Testing Space Center of the Aerospace Forces’ Space Force maintained control over the space vehicle, affirming that “a stable telemetric connection was established and maintained with the spacecraft,” as stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense. They further confirmed, “The onboard systems of the GLONASS-M spacecraft are functioning normally.”
Lightning Hits Same Location 11 Times
In an unrelated yet equally astonishing event, a severe storm in Southeast Texas on May 9 resulted in a lightning bolt striking the same location 11 times within just 8 seconds. This remarkable phenomenon was captured on video by KHOU 11 reporter Brett Buffington, leading to viral attention with over 857,000 views on Facebook.
The footage showcased “incredible lightning over Wallert and Fort Bend County in Texas,” drawing comparisons to a high-tension electrical wire seemingly connecting the heavens to Earth.
Buffington’s post captured the public’s imagination: “SAME LIGHTNING BOLT STRIKES 11 TIMES! A stormy night in Houston. Watch as this lightning bolt hits over and over again in the same spot for several seconds. This was part of the storms passing through Fort Bend and Waller Counties.”
The spectacle inspired a flurry of comments, some humorously contemplating the odds of being struck by lightning not once, but eleven times. “Imagine the bad luck you would have of being struck by lightning once … then imagine if you happened to be getting hit by that bolt 11 times,” mused Jonothan Carroll.
Others infused a sense of whimsy into the discussion, attributing the event to extraterrestrial activity. “Has anyone else seen War of the Worlds? That’s no lightning. It’s aliens teleporting to earth,” speculated Erick Edwardo Segura.
Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries stemming from the tumultuous weather on that Thursday.
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