The launch of a privately-owned rocket from the US Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was visible from Bermuda earlier tonight.

Spotted shortly after 6pm, the slow-moving light could be seen to the southwest of the Island, moving from west to east to put a commercial communications spacecraft into orbit for Thai satellite operator Thaicom.

According to Reuters, the 224-foot-tall SpaceX rocket lifted off its seaside launch pad at 6.06pm, soaring through overcast skies as it headed toward the satellite’s drop-off point more than 55,000 miles above Earth, or about one-quarter of the way to the moon.

The launch was the second in just over a month for Space Exploration Technologies, also known as SpaceX.

The flight also could clear SpaceX to enter a lucrative competition to launch US military reconnaissance and communications satellites, a service now exclusively provided by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

A Bermuda Maritime Operations/Bermuda Harbour spokesman said it was difficult to pin down exactly what could be seen from Bermuda.

“It could be part of the launch that’s fallen back into the atmosphere and burning up, or it could be the rocket itself that’s still in the atmosphere and about to go into space,” he said.

All space launches are reported to shipping and aircraft in the area.

The US NASA also keeps a small mobile tracking station in use in Bermuda.