Singer complains of rocket launch noise
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Photo credit: Pixabay
Forbes magazine reported that singer-songwriter Charlie Puth complained on social media about the noise made by the recent launch of Elon Musk’s Falcon rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 3 a.m. Puth wrote, “This one at 3 am [sic] today felt like 150-160 dB, violently shook our whole house, and really frightened my pregnant wife. I hope they do not get louder :/”
Puth has a legitimate complaint. Rocket launches make a lot of noise. At the recent joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan, I attended two sessions on jet and rocket noise. Much of the research was done at Brigham Young University by professor Kent Gee and his colleagues. Falcon 9 launches make a lot of noise.
Measurement of rocket launch noise is complex. Launch sounds heard on the ground depend on multiple factors, including not only the distance from the launch pad but also the rocket type, atmospheric conditions (including temperature, humidity and wind speed), the altitude and trajectory of the rocket and ground features such as mountains. I can’t even begin to understand the mathematical formulas and adjustments that the researchers use. Space-X’s Starship makes even more noise than the Falcon 9.
The number of rocket launches in the United States will approach 300 in 2025, double the number at the height of the space program in the 1960s, with an increase in launches predicted for 2026 and beyond. The noise produced by the Starship may be sufficient to cause auditory damage, close to or exceeding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration maximum permissible occupational noise exposure limit of 140 dBA. The vibrations may be sufficient to damage buildings.
It’s not clear what the public policy and regulatory answers will be. It is clear, though, that existing regulations are inadequate to deal with rocket launch noise. It’s also clear that those living near the country’s three main launch sites — Vandenberg between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Musk’s Texas site, and Florida’s “Space Coast” — will be hearing a lot more rocket noise in the future.