SpaceX Launch Successful from Vandenberg Wednesday Night

SpaceX successfully completed the launch of several Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

A Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 7:42 p.m.

This was the 33rd flight for the first stage booster supporting the mission.

The first stage booster had earlier launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, Transporter-15, and 20 Starlink missions, according to SpaceX.

After stage separation, the first stage landed on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket is designed to transport payloads into orbit and beyond and return its first stage booster for landing and potential reuse.

The reusability feature allows SpaceX to reuse most of the expensive parts, thereby lowering the cost of space access.

So far, Falcon 9 has completed 631 missions, and achieved 586 landings, and 549 reflights.

What is a Sonic Boom?

The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket on April 29, 2026, may have resulted in one or more sonic booms, SpaceX said.

Residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear a sonic boom, although what residents hear depends on weather and other conditions.

A sonic boom is a brief, thunder-like noise that can be heard when an object travels faster than the speed of sound, according to SpaceX.

When the object travels through the air, it pushes the air aside to create a wave of pressure that eventually reaches the ground.

The mass, shape, and size of the object traveling at high speeds, as well as its altitude and flight path impacts sonic booms.

Typically, sonic booms are experienced the strongest in areas that are located directly below the object, concentrated under the rocket’s flight path and the landing site.

In light of the increased launch activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base, officials are ramping up efforts to engage with the Central Coast communities and ensure residents are updated on the activities.

As part of its outreach initiatives, Vandenberg launched the ‘Mission Update’ speaker series. The event provides information on Vandenberg’s mission and addresses questions about sonic booms and their impacts on residents.

Three such community engagements were organized. The first event was held in Lompoc on February 20, 2026, followed by events in Santa Barbara on March 17, 2026, and in Carpinteria on April 22, 2026.

During the meeting, Vandenberg leaders provided residents with updates about the base’s mission, growth opportunities, and its role in national security space operations. Leaders also addressed questions regarding sonic booms.

The fourth and final event in the series will be held in Ojai on May 19, 2026.