UFO seen as explosion during Atlas missile launch

Summary

In September 1960, a U.S. Air Force aircraft reported observing a bright object near Memphis, Tennessee. The object, described as a large glowing ball 50 to 60 feet in diameter, rapidly ascended from the ground to around 60,000 feet before disappearing. A second aircraft, traveling from Shreveport, Louisiana to Texas, also reported a similar phenomenon: a large explosion in an easterly direction. Investigators concluded that the observed object was likely the launch of an Atlas missile from Cape Canaveral, which occurred exactly at the same time. Despite the timing and descriptions matching, the reports do not completely rule out the possibility of an unknown phenomenon, although the most plausible explanation is considered to be a space launch.