What to know: SpaceX plans to launch the Bandwagon‑4 Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral around 1:09 a.m. The booster — on its third flight — is expected to land at Landing Zone 2 and could produce one or more sonic booms about eight minutes after liftoff, potentially affecting many Central Florida counties. The rideshare carries 18 payloads; this would be the Space Coast’s 91st launch this year.
Overnight Sonic Boom Possible as SpaceX Falcon 9 Bandwagon‑4 Targets 1:09 a.m. Launch
What to know: SpaceX plans to launch the Bandwagon‑4 Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral around 1:09 a.m. The booster — on its third flight — is expected to land at Landing Zone 2 and could produce one or more sonic booms about eight minutes after liftoff, potentially affecting many Central Florida counties. The rideshare carries 18 payloads; this would be the Space Coast’s 91st launch this year.
13:26, 02.11.2025Technology
SpaceX Falcon 9 Bandwagon‑4 Could Produce Overnight Sonic Boom Across Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. — If you plan to set your clocks back for the end of daylight saving time at 2 a.m. Sunday, you might first be reminded by a loud sonic boom less than an hour earlier.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off on the Bandwagon‑4 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, aiming for a 1:09 a.m. liftoff within a 1:00–1:20 a.m. launch window.
The first‑stage booster will be making its third flight and is slated to return to Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral. SpaceX cautioned that roughly eight minutes after liftoff the booster’s reentry and landing could produce one or more sonic booms felt across multiple Central Florida counties.
Counties potentially affected: Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie and Okeechobee. An earlier launch this year produced booms heard as far inland as Lake County.
While concerns have been raised about the increased frequency, intensity and timing of sonic booms as SpaceX plans future Starship operations from the Space Coast, Falcon 9 vehicles are smaller than Starship. Still, they can produce a surprising, sometimes loud jolt in the middle of the night that can carry farther depending on weather and atmospheric conditions.
This rideshare mission carries 18 payloads for customers including KOREA ADD, Exolaunch, Fergani, Tomorrow Companies Inc., Starcloud and Vast. If launched as planned, it would be the 91st flight from the Space Coast this year — two launches short of tying the 93‑flight record noted for 2024.
November is shaping up to be a busy month with eight missions already announced. Two potential evening launches are currently scheduled for next Wednesday: a SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink mission and a United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying ViaSat‑3 F2.
Safety tip: If you hear a loud boom overnight, remain calm — it’s typically just the booster returning. Secure loose outdoor items if you’re concerned about repeated disturbances.