SpaceX Falcon 9 launch to cause sonic boom in Ventura County
SpaceX issued an advisory for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties about a possible sonic boom during its early morning Falcon 9 launch this weekend.
"There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions," the aerospace company wrote.
SpaceX hopes to launch its latest Falcon 9 rocket on Saturday, Dec. 21 at about 3:34 a.m. at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. If needed, the launch will happen earlier at 3:12 a.m. but only as a backup opportunity.
Roughly eight minutes after liftoff, the rocket's first stage will land back at Vandenberg. Residents in the surrounding counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing.
The launch is part of the Bandwagon-2 mission, described as a rideshare mission by the aerospace company. It's meant to deliver payloads into space.
SpaceX has launched 410 Falcon 9 rockets into orbit, according to its website. The Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed to safely and reliably transport people and cargo into Earth's orbit. The company has had 366 total landings and 339 reflights.
It's roughly 230 feet tall and weighs roughly 1.2 million pounds.
If you would like to watch the live broadcast of the launch, go to spacex.com/launches.
