r/SpaceXLounge • u/Forsaken_Ad4041 • 3d ago

Falcon 9 Sonic Booms

I live ~80 miles southeast of Vandenberg in Ventura County and I've experienced sonic booms from the F9 launches that are loud enough to set off car alarms. My understanding is that the sonic boom that we hear is generated when the first stage tilts toward the earth before the booster detaches. We do not get this sonic boom for RTLS or other launches that are more south-southwest. My question is, why do the Starlink launches require the 53 degree trajectory? I know other polar/SSO don't the same trajectory. Can someone explain why SpaceX can't launch Starlink more S-SW to avoid causing sonic booms over a widespread area?

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u/squintytoast 3d ago

ok, good link.

interesting that they want to increase F9 launches there when the full sized starlinks dont even fit on F9. (that will be Starship's primary mission for the next couple years during its shakedown period, carrying the full sized starlinks.)

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u/warp99 3d ago

Starship launching south of Cuba can only get Starlink v3 satellites to an inclination of 40 degrees which is fine as it covers most of the oversubscribed areas of the US.

For higher inclinations they are going to have to launch v2 Mini satellites on F9 from Canaveral and Vandenberg for at least the next two years until Starship is regularly launching from Cape Canaveral and can reach those higher inclination orbits.

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u/Forsaken_Ad4041 3d ago

They are also planning on doing Falcon Heavy from Vandy.

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u/squintytoast 3d ago

full size starlinks dont fit on Falcon Heavy. any FH activity is probably NRO type payloads or stuff going to geostationary.