The military successfully launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in Southern California to test and show off US nuclear capabilities. The Minuteman III missile lit up the late night sky after it was launched at the Vandenberg Space Force Base — about 150 miles from Los Angeles — around 1 a.

The ballistic missile was shot over the Pacific Ocean and travelled more than 4,200 miles to a test range in the Marshall Islands. It completed the journey in about 22 minutes and travelled at a speed of 15,000 miles per hour, which is 24 times faster than a typical passenger jet.