What was that loud boom? Locals react to SpaceX reentry, splashdown near Daytona coast
Residents near Daytona Beach were startled by a loud boom caused by the reentry and splashdown of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule carrying the Axiom Space 3 astronauts. Locals near the beachside reported hearing the boom and mistaking it for other natural phenomena. The astronauts successfully landed in the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach.
Locals react to loud boom
Residents in Volusia County near Daytona Beach heard a loud boom caused by the reentry of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule carrying the Axiom Space 3 astronauts.
Joe Connor, an employee at Beachside Cafe, was sitting outside when he heard the boom and described how people in the restaurant were unsure of the source of the sound.
Jennifer Feuer, a volunteer at the Marine Science Center, also heard the boom and noted that it was louder than usual due to being near the ocean with open doors and garage.
Confusion over the sound
Amy Tobias, another volunteer, heard the boom while in her car and only realized the cause later when someone mentioned the reentry. Living in an area with other random booms, she finds it difficult to differentiate between them.
With so many launches and activities in the area, Tobias often brushes off the noises as something insignificant, describing them as similar to the sound of a distant dump truck.
Overall, many residents in nearby Wilbur-by-the-Sea have become accustomed to various sounds and find it challenging to discern a specific cause.
The SpaceX Dragon splashdown
The SpaceX Dragon capsule, with four astronauts aboard, successfully completed its deorbit burn and passed through its communications blackout period.
Parachutes began deploying just before the splashdown, which occurred at 8:30 a.m. Peak re-entry temperatures were projected to reach 3,500 degrees on the capsule's heat shield.
The Dragon capsule measures 16 feet tall and 13 feet in diameter and landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
