This guy John Pike is making fun of them.
When I watched the video I could clearly see the fire exhaust from the rocket as it travels away from the camera.
I really doubt the base of the plume is something you would see from an airplane condensation trail.
That could have something to do with the first stage of the rocket, although I don't think those missiles are configured in the class stages of rocket motors that I am thinking of. There are multiple stages of the launch process though.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/09/california.contrails/index.html?hpt=C2
CNN U.S. [ TERRORIST ASSET ]
Pentagon can't explain apparent mystery plume off California coast
By Michael Martinez and Casey Wian, CNN
November 10, 2010 9:44 a.m. EST
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The Pentagon is unable to explain images of what witnesses took to be a high-altitude rocket launched off the coast of Southern California at sunset Monday, officials said.
But John Pike, a defense expert who is director of GlobalSecurity.org, said he believes he has solved the mystery.
"It's clearly an airplane contrail," Pike said Tuesday afternoon. "It's an optical illusion that looks like it's going up, whereas in reality it's going toward the camera. The tip of the contrail is moving far too slowly to be a rocket. When it's illuminated by the sunset, you can see hundreds of miles of it ... all the way to the horizon.
"Why the government is so badly organized that they can't get somebody out there to explain it and make this story go away. ... I think that's the real story," Pike added. "I mean, it's insane that with all the money we are spending, all these technically competent people, that they can't get somebody out there to explain what is incredibly obvious."
