---
title: "Videos of cone-shaped object over Kota Kinabalu likely show Chinese rocket"
url: "https://usubjects.com/article/videos-of-cone-shaped-object-over-kota-kinabalu-likely-show-chinese-rocket-4707"
updated: "2026-11-10T16:25:55.365Z"
description: "Viral videos from Kota Kinabalu show cone-shaped object in night sky on Nov 9; identified as likely China's Long March 12 rocket launch carrying satellites. Example of recent sighting reports."
sources: ["https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2026/11/10/images-of-odd-flying-object-in-night-sky-goes-viral-its-likely-a-rocket-from-china/"]
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Videos of cone-shaped object over Kota Kinabalu likely show Chinese rocket

Published: 2026-11-10  
Source: [#ufonews](https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2026/11/10/images-of-odd-flying-object-in-night-sky-goes-viral-its-likely-a-rocket-from-china/)

### Overview

Videos showing a **cone-shaped object moving across the night sky over Kota Kinabalu, Sabah**, have gone viral after being shared on Threads and other social-media platforms. The sighting was reported in the early hours of **Monday, 9 November**, at approximately 4 a.m., prompting speculation that residents had witnessed an unidentified flying object.

The footage appears to show a bright point moving through the sky while producing a broad, triangular or cone-like plume. In some recordings, the illuminated trail seems to expand outward before dispersing. Although the images initially generated discussion about possible spacecraft or other unexplained phenomena, the object is **most likely associated with a Chinese rocket launch** that took place at roughly the same time.

### A likely rocket-launch phenomenon

The visual pattern is consistent with what is sometimes called the **“space jellyfish effect.”** This occurs when sunlight reflects off gases expelled by a rocket at high altitude, creating a glowing, expanding plume that can resemble a jellyfish, cone or fan in the sky.

The effect is most visible during the hours around dawn or dusk, when the ground may still be in darkness while sunlight reaches the rocket’s exhaust at altitude. That contrast can make the plume appear unusually large and vivid to observers below. Such displays are uncommon for any individual witness because they require a precise combination of launch timing, viewing location and atmospheric conditions.

Videos shared by several Kota Kinabalu residents showed broadly similar imagery, helping fuel online speculation. However, the shape of the object alone does not establish that it was an unidentified craft. **Rocket exhaust, atmospheric effects and the changing perspective of a distant launch can significantly alter how an object appears on camera.**

### Long March 12 launch from China

The suspected explanation is linked to a **Long March 12 carrier rocket** launched from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in China on 9 November. Reports cited by The Rakyat Post placed the launch at about **4:24 a.m. Beijing time**, which is the same time zone used in Malaysia.

According to China Daily, the mission carried a group of internet satellites developed and manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. through its subsidiary, the China Academy of Space Technology. The close timing between the launch and the Kota Kinabalu sightings makes the rocket explanation plausible, although the available reports do not present a formal confirmation directly identifying the object in the videos.

The mission was described as **China’s 82nd space mission of 2026** and the 676th flight of the Long March rocket family, reflecting the country’s increasingly active launch schedule.

### Part of China’s broadband ambitions

The Long March 12 is being used to support China’s planned **Guowang broadband satellite constellation**, a state-backed project intended to provide global internet coverage through thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit.

Guowang is expected to involve nearly **13,000 satellites**, placing it in direct strategic comparison with SpaceX’s Starlink network. Satellites in low-Earth orbit can provide lower latency and faster connections than traditional geostationary systems, although building and operating a constellation on this scale presents substantial technical, regulatory and logistical challenges.

The Kota Kinabalu videos illustrate how launches conducted hundreds or thousands of kilometres away can produce striking effects visible across national borders. While the footage may look mysterious at first glance, the timing, appearance and regional visibility of the event point toward a **rocket-related phenomenon rather than evidence of extraterrestrial activity**.

## Provenance

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