[forgotten man]

It was probably a rocket launch at Vandengerg AFB. Sometime the Air Force launches an intercontinental missile and then blow it up on purpose before it gets into outer space. That is my guess.

[BenLurkin]

Trident test off a submarine

[pfflier]

Parts of that are right, parts wrong. ICBMs (Minuteman IIIs) never achieve escape velocity so they are incapable of going into "outer space".

Test launches that go outside the Western Test Range safety envelope are destroyed intentionally.