Artemis II’s journey back to Earth will likely trigger a “sonic boom” so strong that it could end up rattling windows in parts of Southern California, according to officials.
The gumdrop-shaped Orion spacecraft is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday night — bringing a dramatic end to humanity’s first voyage to the moon in more than half a century.
When the spaceship carrying its crew of four bursts back through Earth’s atmosphere in a “fireball,” the re-entry boom could be so loud, it may shake windows in San Diego, according to the US Geological Survey.
“A sonic boom is expected as the spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere and could potentially be felt and heard throughout Southern California between 5 p.m. and 5:15 pm. local time,” the USGS posted on X.
“If you hear or feel sonic booms (or not), please fill out this ‘Did You Feel It’ survey.”
The crew is scheduled to hit the water around 8:07 p.m. ET roughly 80 miles off the coast of San Diego after reaching the moon earlier this week.
The Artemis II crew is expected to reach speeds of up to 23,839 mph when it enters Earth’s atmosphere.
“I’ve actually been thinking about entry since April 3, 2023, when we got assigned to this mission,” mission pilot Victor Glover said when asked Wednesday about re-entry during a press conference from space.
“There’s so many more pictures, so many more stories, and gosh, I haven’t even begun to process what we’ve been through. We’ve still got two more days, and riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.”
The splashdown will conclude the historic 685,000-mile flight that began 10 days ago on the Florida coast.