SpaceX to Launch 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg on June 3

SpaceX will launch several Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County on June 3.

A Falcon 9 rocket is targeting to launch 24 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to SpaceX.

This will be the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting the mission, according to the space transportation company. The rocket previously launched NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, NROL-57, and 11 Starlink missions.

After stage separation, the first stage is expected to land on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ droneship that will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin around five minutes before liftoff. The webcast will be available on SpaceX’s website and X page. The webcast can also be watched on the X TV app.

The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket is designed as an orbital-class rocket that is capable of reflight. Its reusability feature enables SpaceX to reuse some of the most expensive parts of the rocket, which, in turn, lowers the cost of space access.

So far, Falcon 9 has completed 642 missions, achieved 596 landings, and 561 reflights.

On May 26, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking the base’s 35th launch of this year. The flight used a first-stage booster that was on its sixth mission.

Another SpaceX launch from Vandenberg is scheduled for June 10.

Possibility of a Sonic Boom

The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket on the night of June 3 may result in one or more sonic booms, according to SpaceX.

Residents in the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura may hear one or more sonic booms during the rocket’s launch. However, what residents hear depends on the weather and other factors, SpaceX said.

A sonic boom is a brief, thunder-like noise that is heard on the ground when an aircraft or any other object travels faster than the speed of sound.

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, affect sonic booms.

Typically, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief, loud noise.

SpaceX said sonic booms are usually heard on Earth when encountering vehicles that have been designed to be reused, such as the Falcon 9 family of rockets.