With its signature sonic boom, shuttle lands at Edwards
The space shuttle Discovery landed this afternoon at Edwards Air Force Base, complete with its signature sonic boom heard across Southern California.
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.
The landing completes a trip to deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. The mission lasted 14 days and covered 5.7 million miles.
--Ann M. Simmons
EDITOR'S PICKS:
I heard the boom but it wasn't that loud
Posted by: Vic | September 11, 2009 at 06:02 PM
I thought my neighbors were fighting downstairs until I remembered that my neighbors are too old to be fighting like that! Hey Miss Jones, Hey Mr. Junie!!
Posted by: ridiculousjobposts.com | September 11, 2009 at 06:05 PM
Amazing! The Sonic Boom was heard all throughout the area in Orange County and the Northridge area. Good job Discovery!
Posted by: Nayan Vithal | September 11, 2009 at 06:05 PM
Boom! Boom!
Posted by: BT | September 11, 2009 at 06:07 PM
I felt my house shook a little and felt all the windows shaking. Was kinda scared since it is 9/11!
Did u hear or feel it?
Posted by: Jacob | September 11, 2009 at 06:08 PM
Today's sonic boom was bigger and badder than any others in the past few years. Is that possible? Or is it just my imagination?? I live close to Edwards so it is always intense. But is it louder depending on where you are??
I'd sure appreciate some answers. My heart almost stopped this time.
Posted by: renee taylor | September 11, 2009 at 06:13 PM
Couldn't think of a better way for those of us on the west coast to honor 9/11. AmErican Ingenuity!
Posted by: Jane laurel | September 11, 2009 at 06:14 PM
I live in Hollywood, California and I heard it two distinct "booms". The whole building shook, the doors and windows rattled. It was cool. It was the first time I had ever heard it. My less intelligent neighbors though thought that it was a bomb or gun shots.
Posted by: Zulma | September 11, 2009 at 06:15 PM
We heard the sonic boom while we were swimming in the pool. We thought it was thunder...or an explosion at LAX. It was SO LOUD!
Posted by: Sainte | September 11, 2009 at 06:24 PM
Totally bad call for September 11. Boom was pretty frightening. My girlfriend and I immediately checked to make sure downtown was intact. Even thought, "they wouldn't land a shuttle today, would they?" I suppose we were wrong.
Posted by: max | September 11, 2009 at 06:30 PM
First to comment!
Got out my truck at the bank at the moment of the boom, everyone in the parking lot jumped and the bank doors began swinging. Seriously one of the loudest booms I've heard. I'm all the way in Studio City area! Very cool, welcome home!
Posted by: Jason Collins | September 11, 2009 at 06:32 PM
Wow!! That's about all I can say right now. That sonic boom scared me. I was walking to my friends house and I heard two very loud sonic booms not knowing exactly what it was at the time so it spooked me pretty good LOL
Posted by: David Gonzalez | September 11, 2009 at 06:35 PM
Totally heard the sonic boom in North Hollywood and OMG was it LOUD!
Posted by: Larissa Meek | September 11, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Wow, that sonic boom was loud! It freaked me out and many car alarms went off in my neighborhood. Thank goodness it wasn't an earthquake!
Posted by: Ann | September 11, 2009 at 06:40 PM
I thought we were being attacked when I heard the sonic Boom. I mean it is Sept.11
Posted by: Jim | September 11, 2009 at 06:44 PM
So THAT'S what that big boom was...
Posted by: Paul Marangoni | September 11, 2009 at 06:48 PM
Absolutely stunning! NASA and the crew of Discovery STS-128
Welcome back to Earth. Congratulations on your mission. You will go down in the history books that my great grandchildren will read. I am proud to have witnessed your brilliance.
Posted by: JohBurgJen | September 11, 2009 at 06:58 PM
I was at work and felt a big thump above me. I thought someone had fallen on the roof.
Posted by: ROCIO | September 11, 2009 at 07:26 PM
i was at home watching tv unitl i felt this big boom! at first i thought it was an earthquake but when i called my grandma i found out it was a space ship. :)relieved
Posted by: mili | September 11, 2009 at 07:34 PM
I blamed my upstairs neighbors for the loud boom until I saw reports on Twitter!
Posted by: Elena-Beth Kaye | September 11, 2009 at 07:54 PM
That technology, even if it's decades old, is just awesome. That tiny flying object creating such a boom... Sad, really, that the Shuttle will soon be history.
Posted by: RAW | September 11, 2009 at 08:01 PM
I can't believe I miss this. What was I thinking???
Posted by: Ryan Ullman | September 11, 2009 at 08:04 PM
we all heard it !!!!!!
Posted by: prettyboyyy | September 11, 2009 at 08:10 PM
Ooooh that's why!
I was already wondering where the explosion happened (I was sitting in my closed car in Westwood at the time and could feel the air push in my chest), and got all excited about taking photos of it.
Fascinating, that a little vehicle like that makes such a big impact on the atmosphere ... other drivers on the road felt it as well.
Posted by: Tobias Deml | September 11, 2009 at 08:34 PM
I felt the boom here in West Hollywood. Pretty intense.
Posted by: Daniel | September 11, 2009 at 09:09 PM