{"id":260807,"date":"2026-04-10T08:23:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260807\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:23:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:23:22","slug":"will-san-diego-hear-a-sonic-boom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260807\/","title":{"rendered":"Will San Diego hear a sonic boom?"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission is expected to come to a close on Friday evening with the Orion spacecraft slated to splash down off San Diego\u2019s coast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some are wondering: will a sonic boom be heard across the region when the spacecraft reenters the Earth\u2019s atmosphere and barrels toward the West Coast?<\/p>\n

The short answer: it\u2019s possible \u2014 but far from guaranteed.<\/p>\n

During reentry, the Orion spacecraft will propel back to its home planet at speeds approaching 25,000 miles per hour, according to NASA. That high-speed return, generating extreme heat and pressure, is what creates the potential for a sonic boom.<\/p>\n

For those unfamiliar, a sonic boom<\/a> is a loud, explosive sound caused when an object \u2014 such as an aircraft or other type of aerospace vehicle \u2014 travels faster than the speed of sound<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAir reacts like a fluid to supersonic objects. As objects travel through the air, the air molecules are pushed aside with great force, and this forms a shock wave much like a boat creates a bow wave,\u201d NASA explained. \u201cThe bigger and heavier the aircraft, the more air it displaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where to watch Artemis II crew\u2019s return to Earth with kids in San Diego <\/a><\/p>\n

As the Orion spacecraft tears through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, it will compress air in front of it, creating those shock waves. However, altitude determines the distance shock waves travel before reaching the ground \u2014 scientists say this has the most significant effect on the intensity of a sonic boom.<\/p>\n

So, will San Diegans hear it? Well, it depends on several factors.<\/p>\n

The first thing to consider is Orion\u2019s flightpath and reentry location. Sonic booms are heard along what NASA described as a narrow \u201cboom carpet\u201d beneath the spacecraft\u2019s trajectory. If Orion\u2019s path lines up offshore, which it\u2019s expected to do, the sound may stay over the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring re-entry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii,\u201d NASA officials explained.<\/p>\n

This means the projected entry interface \u2014 the point where a spacecraft enters a planet\u2019s atmosphere \u2014 will be located approximately 2,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean landing area, which is about 50 to 80 miles offshore from San Diego. This lessens the probability of hearing a sonic boom from land in Southern California.<\/p>\n

\"Ground<\/a><\/p>\n

Ground track map displaying the Artemis II Orion parachute sequence. This graphic was presented by Artemis II Flight Director Rick Henfling during the mission status briefing to the media and public on April 8, 2026, at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n

Another factor to consider is altitude. Scientists say much of the loudest shockwaves form high in the atmosphere, which can reduce what\u2019s heard on the ground.<\/p>\n

Weather conditions are also a component, with NASA officials explaining, \u201cThe direction of travel and strength of shock waves are influenced by wind, speed and direction, and by air temperature and pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Put simply, temperature, wind and cloud layers can bend or weaken sound waves before they reach land.<\/p>\n

Recent weather models show an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for the tail end of the Artemis II mission, though NASA pointed to cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground as primary weather concerns, winds that could impact sonic boom levels.<\/p>\n

The crew aboard the Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down near San Diego at 5:07 p.m. PST on Friday, April 10. Navy sailors on the USS John P. Murtha<\/a> will be responsible for recovering both the Orion capsule and its crew in the open ocean.<\/p>\n

On Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mentioned a sonic boom would be expected between 5 and 5:15 p.m. Pacific Time.<\/p>\n

The USGS also encourages anyone who thinks they hear or feel sonic booms to fill out its \u201cDid You Feel It\u201d survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While some coastal communities could hear a brief boom as NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon reaches its end Friday, many residents across San Diego County may not hear anything at all. It will depend on precise timing, trajectory and atmospheric conditions.<\/p>\n

Still, the event marks a rare moment: a spacecraft carrying astronauts returning from deep space, potentially announcing its arrival with a thunder-like crack over the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

Even if a sonic boom is not heard, the Artemis II return will remain a milestone in space exploration \u2014 and it\u2019s all happening just off the coast of San Diego.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission is expected to come to a close on Friday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":260808,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[3098,113122,74,76,75,114771,68733,114772],"class_list":{"0":"post-260807","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-nasa","9":"tag-orion-spacecraft","10":"tag-san-diego","11":"tag-san-diego-headlines","12":"tag-san-diego-news","13":"tag-shock-waves","14":"tag-sonic-boom","15":"tag-speed-of-sound"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/260808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}