SpaceX set to launch reconnaissance satellite from Vandenberg
Southern Californians may hear a sonic boom sometime this weekend with Hawthorne-based SpaceX slated to launch a rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The Falcon 9 rocket is carrying a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The launch of the NROL-85 satellite was initially scheduled for Friday at 6:41 a.m., but was delayed in order to allow for "pre-launch checkouts and data reviews," SpaceX tweeted.
SpaceX said the launch will now take place "no earlier than Saturday."
The Falcon 9 first-stage rocket booster being used in the launch is the same recycled rocket booster that was used for a NRO satellite launch from Vandenberg back on Feb. 2. Once it launches from Vandenberg, the first stage of the rocket will return and land at Vandenberg to be used again in future missions.
There's the possibility that residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties may here a sonic boom during the landing of the Falcon 9's first stage.
Last week, SpaceX took part in a historic milestone in space exploration when it launched the first all-private mission carrying four people to the International Space Station.