SpaceX launch could spark sonic booms in Central Florida. Here’s what to expect

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Much of Central Florida could hear sonic booms on Thursday morning amid another SpaceX launch.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, taking the Maxar 2 mission into orbit, according to company officials.

Thursday’s launch window runs from 9-10 a.m., with a backup opportunity available on Friday at 9 a.m.

When the launch does happen, Falcon 9′s first-stage booster is expected to land on SpaceX’s landing zone at the Space Force station about eight minutes after liftoff, a release from SpaceX states.

As a result, residents in the following counties could hear one or more sonic booms during the landing:

• Brevard County

• Indian River County

• Okeechobee County

• Orange County

• Osceola County

• Polk County

• Seminole County

• St. Lucie County

• Volusia County

“What residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX said.

This won’t be the first time that a space launch prompted sonic booms in the region.

When the Ax-3 crew returned back in February, many Central Florida residents reported hearing a sonic boom as the crew plummeted down toward Earth.

As boosters and spacecraft fall through the atmosphere at supersonic speeds, they spark shockwaves that travel through the air — sometimes heard by people on the ground as a sonic boom.

For Thursday’s launch, the 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting a mere 20% chance of weather getting in the way. That falls to only 10% if pushed to Friday.

Either way, News 6 will stream the launch live at the top of this story when it happens.

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