I wasn't expecting an earth-shattering kaboom

Ian O'Neill posted about his experience watching the shuttle sail overhead, and I added mine in a comment:

In 1996, for some reason, the shuttle flew over Sacramento on its way to Edwards.

It went over at the very crack of dawn, so I went outside a bit before that, wrapped in a blanket, and lay back on the sidewalk to wait.

Soon, in the dark east, a hot pink triangle materialized, and slid quickly overhead. I think it was pink from the heat. It was close enough to see that it was clearly a triangle, and clearly the shuttle, but I could see no details.

It moved silently over me, then disappeared into the equally pink sunrise to the east.

I wandered back into my apartment, curled up in bed, then as I was drifting off, the BOOM that you experienced rattled my window glass. I jumped out of my skin, and then burst into laughter.

It was honest joy.

I am a total shuttle-hugger, and that morning made among my most memorable space-related events.

*splash*

I'm going to call this geography because the view of the earth from the falling rockets is amazing:



I wonder (and one of you must know): How small is the bit of ocean do the engineers know the rockets will fall into? How far away are the retrieval ships, for safety?

I love the splash at the end, and how the cameras keep working.