Yesterday I wrote about this mornings early launch (12:45 am) of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS. The major difference in this launch was not so much the launch but the landing, which was on terra firma at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The good news is that the entire process was a success. Even though we were warned of the likely hood of a sonic boom during the landing, it shocked many people on the ground.
Sonic Booms were common during the Space Shuttle program, but apparently many people forgot about them and became alarmed when they were awakened to the noise and called authorities to report on the loud boom.
I watched the launch, and the landing from my back yard and could clearly see the launch, and then the separation of the rocket and the Falcon 9's first stage. Initially it looked like a flare during the separation and I wasn't sure that the separation was successful...but it was. The one thing that I noticed was the dramatic lag in hearing the launch. The flare of the rocket was well into the sky before I ever heard anything. I am approximately 20 miles south of Cape Canaveral. Congratulations SpaceX, I am now anxiously awaiting the reuse and launch of a previously landed unit! If you would like to see a short video of the landing, click on the video below.
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