Space X sonic boom heard across the Treasure Coast during Cape Canaveral launch Thursday

Gianna Montesano, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

A sonic boom from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch was heard Thursday evening across the Treasure Coast.

People in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties heard the boom from the 10: 21 p.m. launch at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 230-foot rocket boosted 22 more Starlink flat-pack satellites that provide high-speed internet services.

"Did anyone else hear that boom a few minutes ago like around 10:30?(pm)," Julie Bertrand posted in a Jensen Beach Facebook group.

About six phone calls came into the Martin County Sheriff's Office and Stuart Police Department, asking about the boom. Callers were told it was a SpaceX launch, according to Stuart Police Sgt. David Duran.

"Honestly nothing quite sounds like a sonic boom," Bertrand wrote to TCPalm. "But I had no idea there was a launch or a re-entry coming up so I wasn't expecting it."

Port St. Lucie police got no calls about the boom, said Lt. Keith Boham. Indian River County officials did not immediately respond to TCPalm.

What are sonic booms?

A sonic boom is a thunder-like noise heard on the ground when an aircraft or other type of vehicle flies faster than the speed of sound, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Air reacts like a fluid to supersonic objects. As those objects travel through the air, molecules are pushed aside with great force, which forms a shock wave, similar to a boat creating a wake in water. The bigger and heavier the aircraft, the more air it displaces.

How far is the Treasure Coast from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Cape Canaveral is in Brevard County, north of the Treasure Coast. Here are the approximate distances to each county, according to Apple Maps:

  • 74 miles from Indian River County

  • 99 miles from St. Lucie County

  • 120 miles from Martin County

When is the next SpaceX launch?

The next Falcon 9 liftoff from Florida is scheduled for Sunday evening. It will send another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit, but this time from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, according to Florida Today.

  • Company / Agency: Internal SpaceX mission

  • Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

  • Location: Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center

  • Launch Window: 7:07 p.m. to 11:37 p.m. EDT

  • Trajectory: Southeast

  • Weather: TBD

  • Landing: Drone ship

  • Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space

  • About: A Falcon 9 will launch the company's latest batch of Starlink internet satellites.

Florida Today reporter Jamie Groh contributed to this report.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Space X launch brings sonic booms to the Treasure Coast