Sonic booms recorded as Space Shuttle Atlantis breaks sound barrier upon re-entry

Here’s something for all you space nuts out there. I happen to be in Naples, Florida visiting my parents and I was able to catch Space Shuttle Atlantis breaking the sound barrier just as it flew overhead on its way back to Kennedy Space Center.

You’ll hear the booms about three quarters of the way in on the above video. There are two booms, one when the nose of the shuttle enters and one when the tail enters. The first one is more noticeable but it’s quickly followed by a second one.

Here’s a WAV file if you have trouble hearing the booms in the video…