Vandenberg Space Force Base Expands Sonic Boom Research as Launches Increase Along Central Coast

As rocket launches become more frequent along California’s Central Coast, Vandenberg Space Force Base is expanding its ECOBOOM research program to better understand and reduce sonic booms that impact nearby communities, drawing on data collected from 23 launches since mid-2024.

The research is aimed toward informing future launch planning, helping officials balance national security missions with environmental protection and public quality-of-life concerns, according to a statement from Vandenberg.

Launched in June 2024, the ECOBOOM program is a research partnership between Vandenberg Space Force Base, Brigham Young University, California State University-Bakersfield, and other agencies focused on how rocket noise travels through the atmosphere and affects surrounding communities.

So far, the program has tracked sonic booms from 23 launches, and collected 477 acoustic recordings using eight monitoring stations placed throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Weather Conditions Behind Sonic Booms?

Dr. Kent Gee, a professor of physics at Brigham Young University, said the program focuses on both real-world data and modeling.

“We are obtaining high-quality sonic boom and propulsion noise measurements,” Gee said in the statement. “We then compare that data to state-of-the-art simulations to understand how launch trajectories and weather patterns affect the size and intensity of sonic booms.”

According to Vandenberg officials, early findings show that weather conditions play a major role in how sonic booms travel.

During fall, winter, and spring, booms tend to widen and move farther inland, sometimes reaching communities such as Ojai and Santa Barbara. In summer months, the affected areas are generally smaller.

Researchers also found that upper-level winds above approximately 15 kilometers significantly influence how sonic boom sounds travel and where they are ultimately heard.

The data is analyzed using PCBoom software, a modeling tool that helps researchers predict and visualize sonic boom patterns.

Falcon 9’s Sonic Boom Rattles South Coast

During a launch SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg on December 13, 2025, residents across the South Coast reported shaking walls, rattling windows, and frightened pets that disrupt daily life.

That incident came after public meetings were held in January 2025 in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc to address concerns about home safety, wildlife disturbance, and quality of life. At the same time, an Environmental Impact Statement process was launched to evaluate the long-term effects of increased sonic booms.

The first phase of the sonic boom research was announced in May 2025, with monitoring stations deployed across the Central Coast. Early findings showed that even small changes in atmospheric conditions can lead to dramatically different noise impacts, even when launch trajectories remain the same. During this initial phase, researchers closely monitored approximately 11 launches.

Apart from community impacts, researchers are also examining potential environmental effects. Vandenberg Space Force Base contains extensive natural resources, including streams, wetlands, and coastal dunes that support more than 330 wildlife species, several of which are threatened or endangered and protected under federal law.