The sonic boom from SpaceX rocket launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base rattled windows on Saturday evening, December 13.
At 9:49 p.m., the Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East.
“There was a possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may have heard one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experienced depended on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX stated.
Edhat readers on the South Coast reported walls and windows of their homes shaking from the sonic boom. One reader wrote, “it felt like a bomb went off down the street. Car alarms went off and dogs were barking like crazy.”
The Falcon 9’s passage through the atmosphere at an incredible speed resulted in the sonic boom that caught many residents by surprise. This phenomenon occurs when an object in flight surpasses the speed of sound, creating a thunderous noise that can be heard over vast areas.
This was the ninth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SDA T1TL-B, SDA T1TL-C, and now seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
The next SpaceX launch from Vandenberg SFB is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 between 7:24 a.m. and 11:24 a.m.
The full video of the launch can be viewed below:
Watch Falcon 9 launch 27 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California https://t.co/yWYhFKUb24
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 14, 2025
Also Read
- Community Members Rally for Return for Lobster Jo’s Beach Camps in Santa Barbara
- East Beach Still Closed Following Sewage Spill Near Mission Creek
- OpenAI, Childrens’ Advocates Join Forces On Initiative To Protect Kids From Chatbots
- Ranch-Style Montecito Property on Hot Springs Road Sells for $8.46 Million
- California Sees Surge in Death Cap Mushroom Poisonings After Wet Weather
Yeah, that one was actually pretty F’ing irritating.
Absolutely amazing technology, which nearly everyone on the planet benefits from…wow!
Bend those Knees and believe those hyped claims!
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Valued at $800 Billion, as It Prepares to Go Public
A sale of insider shares at $421 a share would make Mr. Musk’s rocket company the most valuable private company in the world, as it readies for a possible initial public offering next year.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/technology/elon-musk-spacex-ipo.html?unlocked_article_code=1.808.vgHu.mh-xbAJx5wU8&smid=url-share
Funny
https://electrek.co/2025/12/07/tesla-optimus-robot-takes-suspicious-tumble-in-new-demo/
My entire house shook. Indeed, it sounded like a bomb went off next door.