Officials hope the Hornet tests will gauge the sonic boom levels that everyday residents deem acceptable. That, in turn, will help NASA's X-59 supersonic jet team verify their noise level theories while they're still constructing the aircraft. Just don't expect to see the X-59 itself flying overhead any time soon -- the X-59 isn't expected to start flight testing until 2021, and community overflights won't happen until 2023. Think of the Galveston test as more of a peek at the future of air travel rather than a sign that more supersonic flights are right around the corner.

If you want a preview, skip to the 43-second mark in the video below for a regular boom, and 2:34 for the quieter thumps.