It was supposed to be a quiet Friday evening for Louis Tomlinson, but things took a turn when he looked up at the sky and spotted something strange soaring through the clouds.
What followed was confusion, curiosity—and a whole lot of social media buzz.
“What the F**k Is This?”: Louis Reacts in Real-Time
The 33-year-old former One Direction star took to Instagram Stories to share a video of what looked like a glowing white trail cutting across the sky just as the sun was setting.
Clearly baffled, Louis captioned the clip with a blunt question: “Honestly what the f**k is this???”
He wasn’t the only one puzzled. The eerie sight caught the attention of many others across the western U.S.
The Real Culprit? A SpaceX Rocket Launch
While the object may have seemed mysterious at first, it turns out it wasn’t a UFO after all.
The blazing trail in the sky was actually SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which had launched just before 9 p.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California.
Elon Musk’s company was sending 24 more Starlink satellites into orbit, and thanks to the timing and the clear sky, the rocket was visible from various lookout points, including spots in Arizona like Dobbins Lookout, Papago Park, and Fountain Hills.
Musk’s Bigger Vision: Heading to Mars
Beyond the satellite launch, Elon Musk has even bigger plans in motion.
He recently confirmed that SpaceX hopes to send several Starships to Mars—without crews—by the end of next year.
If all goes well, the goal is to land five of them on the Red Planet by 2026. No wonder his rockets are lighting up skies all over the U.S.
Louis Bows Out of X Amid Personal Drama
Meanwhile, Louis has been making headlines for another reason: his sudden exit from X (formerly Twitter), which is—ironically—owned by Elon Musk.
The singer announced he was leaving the platform after growing tired of the “conspiracy chat” surrounding his personal life.
He said rumors about his relationship with Zara McDermott, his son Freddie, and even his late mother Johannah had made the app too toxic to deal with.
In a heartfelt post before logging off, Louis wrote:
“The last few months have made it impossible to be on here.
All the conspiracy chat about my relationship, my son or even stretching sometimes to opinions on my Mum. It’s just too much and too hurtful for me to see!”
Reflecting on Family and Loss
Louis also referenced his son, Freddie—whom he shares with ex Briana Jungwirth. Freddie was born in 2016 after a brief romance.
That same year, Louis faced the devastating loss of his mum, Johannah Deakin, who died from leukaemia at just 43.
The emotional toll of seeing people online speculate about such personal matters seems to have played a big role in his decision to quit X.
Zara and Louis Still Going Strong
Despite the noise online, Louis and Zara appear to be in a great place.
The former Love Island star was spotted supporting Louis at his recent concert in Zurich.
In a TikTok clip posted by a fan, Zara was seen dancing and singing along to his set from a private box—clearly proud and all-in on his music journey.
Their relationship went public earlier this year following Zara’s split from Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, and fans have been keeping a close eye on them ever since.
Looking Ahead
So while rockets fly and rumors swirl, Louis seems focused on the things that matter: music, love, and protecting his peace.
He’s even teased a new album on the way, saying recently that he’s “feeling really good about the next record.”
After all the sky drama and social media storms, it looks like he’s still aiming high—in more ways than one.