Get ready for a sonic boom when a SpaceX rocket launches this weekend
If you hear a big thunderclap this weekend, it’s probably not rain — it’s a rocket breaking the sound barrier.
Vandenberg Air Force Base and SpaceX officials say Central Coast residents should expect to hear a few sonic booms during a rocket launch on Saturday.
A Falcon 9 rocket will launch from the Lompoc area military base at 9:17 a.m. Saturday, carrying the Sentinel-6 Michael Feilich satellite, according to a news release.
The Sentinel-6 is the first of two satellites that will go into orbit five years apart to continue sea level observations for the next decade, according to the release.
Officials say residents in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties could hear multiple sonic booms when the re-usable launch vehicle re-enters the atmosphere.
A sonic boom is the sound associated with the shock waves from an aircraft or launch vehicle traveling faster than the speed of sound, according to the release. A boom can sound similar to a clap of thunder.
Whether San Luis Obispo County residents hear the sonic boom will depend on weather conditions and other factors, officials say.
For those who may want to watch the launch, the normal public viewing area on Azalea Lane off of Highway 1 south of the base will not be open to the public.
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 9:59 AM.
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