Residents Sound Off on SpaceX Sonic Booms at Public Meeting in Santa Barbara

U.S. Air Force Collecting Public Input for Environmental Study on Plans to Double Rocket Launches from Vandenberg

By Callie Fausey Thu Jan 16, 2025 | 09:06pm

If anything was clear from the U.S. Air Force’s public meeting about rocket launches on Wednesday, it’s that no one wants to lose sleep to sonic booms — except for one guy who loudly proclaimed that they “sound like freedom,” but he was an outlier.

The booms are the sonic byproduct of a joint project between the Air Force and SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private spaceship company, to deliver communication satellites into orbit.

“Two rocket launches ago, it shook my house so bad my front door opened,” said Nancy Eldridge, a Montecito resident. The bigger booms are what worry her the most.

The proposed action area for the EIS. | Credit: Callie Fausey

“My house was built in 1947, and I’m afraid one of these shakes might just shake my house down,” she said. “It survived the Thomas Fire. It survived the mudflow. So I hope it survives rocket launches.”

Currently, SpaceX and the Air Force are contracted to send 50 Falcon 9 rockets into space from Vandenberg Space Force Base each year. They want to double that number to 100. However, they must first complete a full environmental impact statement (EIS) with public input.

Wednesday’s meeting at the Westside Neighborhood Center was an open house for people to learn more about the launches and submit public comments on what the scope and focus of the environmental analysis should be and what issues should be addressed — not just for people, but also for the critters and coastal habitat around the base.

Small crowds started trickling into the meeting as soon as it began. Common concerns included noise from the sonic booms, wildlife disturbances, and effects on water and air quality.

“I’m particularly concerned about environmental impacts, but honestly I got kind of annoyed when it woke me up a month or two ago,” said Santa Barbara resident Chris Berry. “I thought an earthquake was happening.”

If it was that loud in Santa Barbara, he continued, he can’t imagine what it’s like in Lompoc or other areas closer to the base.

“And, like, 100 launches?” he said, sucking air through his teeth. “If it’s enough to wake me up and bother me, what’s it doing for the birds out there?”

According to Jennifer Green-Lanchoney, Vandenberg’s chief of public affairs, they may not go up to 100 launches every year, depending on need. “It’s not a sustained 100,” she explained. “It’s like a credit card; you can spend up to your credit limit.” Last year, out of their limit of 50 launches, they only cashed in 46.

Every launch makes a sonic boom, she noted, but where that boom hits Earth — and how loud it is — depends on a number of factors like time of day and weather conditions. Last August, in response to community concerns, they initiated a study to understand what makes the booms so loud. “Once we understand those, we can mitigate them,” she said.

While about 15 percent of the current launches carry satellites for national security applications, most are commercial in scope — including Starlink satellites for internet services. But the Air Force does not draw that line. SpaceX is not their only commercial partner, either.

At some points during the meeting, the Westside Neighborhood center was packed. | Credit: Callie Fausey

“We consider launches to provide a fidelity to the fleet of space launch vehicles, regardless of the company,” Green-Lanchoney said. “It’s a nuanced topic that I think is hard to spread out. It’s like pouring sand and dirt into a cup and expecting to get it back out again.”

The EIS will give a full picture of the launches’ environmental impact, what alternatives might be considered, and what mitigations might be imposed to avoid or minimize any adverse effects.

The proposed action is to increase the launch limit from Vandenberg to 100 and allow for both the reusable Falcon 9 and new Falcon Heavy — like a Falcon 9 rocket but with two extra boosters — to be launched from the base. When the boosters from the Falcon Heavy land back at Vandenberg, there would be two simultaneous sonic booms, primarily affecting adjacent communities.

The “no action” alternative is to keep the number at 50 launches and not use the Falcon Heavy rocket.

This is the first time that officials have reached out to the public about what’s going on at Vandenberg, and the first time a launch expansion — last year, it went up from 36 to 50 — has been deemed significant enough to warrant a full environmental impact statement.

Signs around the meeting space described the different elements of the EIS, including the resources to be analyzed, such as water resources, air quality, and cultural resources. | Credit: Callie Fausey

“We got more and more comments coming in regarding noise, hearing sonic booms, etc. — we’re like, the public really needs to be involved in this process,” explained Darryl York, environmental chief for Vandenberg.

That pushed them to do a more comprehensive environmental impact statement, York said. Previously, a less-in-depth environmental analysis sufficed.

After public comments have been solicited, they plan to publish the draft EIS in the spring or summer. More public hearings will follow to solicit comments on the draft. By fall, they plan to identify the preferred alternative, publish the final EIS, and issue a record of decision with the selected plan of action.

For those who could not make it in person, a virtual Public Scoping Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 23, at 6 p.m. (Pacific Time). Visit https://www.vsfbfalconlauncheis.com for details.

Other ways to submit comments by the January 27 deadline are as follows:

Email your comment to: info@VSBFalconLaunchEIS.com

Mail your comments to:

VSFB FALCON LAUNCH EIS
c/o ManTech International Corporation
420 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100
Solana Beach, CA, 92075

Visit the project website to submit an electronic comment form:
https://www.vsfbfalconlauncheis.com