Artemis Sonic Boom Startles Florida Residents After Moon Mission Test

Artemis Sonic Boom Startles Florida Residents After Moon Mission Test...

A loud sonic boom rattled windows across central Florida early Friday morning as NASA's Orion spacecraft returned from its Artemis I test flight around the Moon. The capsule's high-speed reentry created shockwaves audible across multiple counties, sparking hundreds of social media reports and 911 calls from startled residents.

The uncrewed Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:40 PM ET Thursday after its 25-day mission, but the sonic boom occurred during its cross-country transport aboard a US Air Force C-17 cargo plane. NASA confirmed the aircraft was flying at 35,000 feet when it broke the sound barrier near Cape Canaveral at 6:17 AM Friday.

Brevard County Emergency Management received over 200 calls about the noise, with residents reporting vibrations strong enough to shake furniture. "At first I thought it was an earthquake," said Melbourne resident Carla Johnson. "Then I remembered the Artemis mission and checked NASA's Twitter."

The event comes as public interest in NASA's Moon program surges following Wednesday's announcement of the Artemis II crew assignment. The sonic boom provided unexpected publicity for the space agency's preparations to return astronauts to lunar orbit next year.

NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton explained the transport flight needed to maintain high speed to meet schedule requirements. "While we regret any disturbance, this demonstrates the incredible energy involved in space exploration," she told reporters.

Local authorities confirmed no damage or injuries resulted from the sonic boom. The Orion capsule will now undergo analysis at Kennedy Space Center before being prepared for the Artemis II mission in late 2024.