SpaceX launch a 'booming' success

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Central Florida residents had a bit of a rude awakening early Monday as a cracking sonic boom shook people out of sleep, set off car alarms and caused general panic.

The boom many heard at about 12:50 a.m. was the latest SpaceX launch’s first-stage Falcon 9 booster rocket returning to earth.

The launch of a Falcon 9 Dragon spacecraft happened at about 12:45 a.m. Monday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Minutes later, the booster rocket was screaming back to Earth faster than the speed of sound, which is what caused the sonic boom, NASA officials said.

The rocket landed safely back at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

“The stage one came back to land, and if you missed the sonic boom, it’s right there at Landing Complex 1,” vice president of flight reliability for SpaceX, Hans Koenigsmann, said.

Monday’s landing was only the second time a SpaceX booster rocket touched down successfully on land. The first was in December, NASA said.

Along with supplies for the International Space Station, the Dragon spacecraft was carrying the first of two docking adapters which will allow manned SpaceX craft to link up with the facility, NASA said.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS Wednesday.

Channel 9 is working to get 911 calls made after residents were rocked awake by the sonic boom Monday morning.

The recordings will be posted online when they are released by authorities.

Cox Media Group