[meteorite-list] X-37B Sonic Boom

[Ron Baalke]

From: Brian Webb (launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net)

X-37B SONIC BOOM
2010 December 9 (Thursday) 19:30 PST

As reported previously, the Air Force's unmanned X-37B spacecraft
landed at Vandenberg AFB last Friday at 1:16 a.m. PST.

Launch Alert reader Brian Bartky was in Camarillo and reports hearing
a sonic boom at about that time. In an e-mail to the Editor, he wrote:

" ... I heard a sonic boom early Friday morning. When I heard the boom
it took me a minute or so to remember that the X-37B was expected to
land. And when I looked at my watch it said 1:20 a.m.; however, my
watch tends to run a little fast. So, it was probably closer to 1:15
... I've heard the shuttle several times and the sonic boom from an
F-4 so I'm very confident of what I heard ... it was a single boom
unlike the double one the shuttle makes. And the window in my computer
room rattled. Finally, since it was around the right time I'm
confident it was a sonic boom from the X-37-B's approach."