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Sonic Boom Rattles Los Angeles as Shuttle Lands at Edwards

by Tina Kells | September 11, 2009 at 06:35 pm

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The space shuttle Discovery made a safe landing September 11, 2009 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The sonic boom that accompanies space shuttles as they enter the Earth's atmosphere rattled Los Angeles causing some people to fear an earthquake. However, the sonic boom that people in LA heard was not caused by an earthquake and heralded the safe return of the space shuttle Discovery to Earth.

The shuttle glided down over Los Angeles and landed on the runway without incident.

Unstable weather on the East Coast forced Discovery to land at Edwards instead of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The so-called de-orbit burn began shortly before 5 p.m., with landing about 5:50 p.m.

“The burn lasts three to four minutes, slowing Discovery enough to begin its descent,” according to information published by NASA.