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Far-field (9.7-35.5 km) noise measurements were made during the fifth flight test of SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy, which included the first-ever booster catch. Key results involving launch and flyback sonic boom sound levels include (a) A-weighted sound exposure levels during launch are 18 dB less than predicted at 35 km; (b) the flyback sonic boom exceeds 10 psf at 10 km; and (c) comparing Starship launch noise to Space Launch System and Falcon 9 shows that Starship is substantially louder; the far-field noise produced during a Starship launch is at least ten times that of Falcon 9., (© 2024 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

To improve understanding of super heavy-lift rocket acoustics, this letter documents initial findings from noise measurements during liftoff of the Space Launch System's Artemis-I mission. Overall sound pressure levels, waveform characteristics, and spectra are described at distances ranging from 1.5 to 5.2 km. Significant results include: (a) the solid rocket boosters' ignition overpressure is particularly intense in the direction of the pad flame trench exit; (b) post-liftoff maximum overall levels range from 127 to 136 dB, greater than pre-launch predictions; and (c) the average maximum one-third-octave spectral peak occurred at 20 Hz, causing significant deviation between flat and A-weighted levels.

The Saturn V is a monument to one of mankind's greatest achievements: the human Moon landings. However, online claims about this vehicle's impressive acoustics by well-meaning individuals are often based on misunderstood or incorrect data. This article, intended for both educators and enthusiasts, discusses topics related to rocket acoustics and documents what is known about the Saturn V's levels: overall power, maximum overall sound pressure, and peak pressure. The overall power level was approximately 204 dB re 1 pW, whereas its lesser sound pressure levels were impacted by source size, directivity, and propagation effects. As this article is part of a special issue on Education in Acoustics in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, supplementary Saturn V-related homework problems are included.

This study investigates source-related noise characteristics of the Falcon 9, a modern launch vehicle with a high operational tempo. Empirical prediction of the noise characteristics of launched rockets has long been a topic of study; however, there are relatively few comparisons with high-fidelity, far-field data, and historical inconsistencies persist. Various quantities are considered: overall directivity, overall sound power, maximum overall sound pressure level (OASPL), and peak frequency. The noise directivity of the Falcon 9 vehicle is shown to be between two disparate ranges given in the historical literature, but the observed peak directivity angle is well represented using convective Mach number concepts. A comparison between mechanical and acoustic power yields a radiation efficiency is consistent with the literature. Two independent methods of predicting maximum OASPL produce results accurate within 2 dB, even at distances of several kilometers. Various scaling parameters are calculated for observed spectral peak frequency and connect these measurements with prior observations. Finally, the impact of terrain shielding on levels and spectra is assessed. These determined source characteristics of the Falcon 9 vehicle provide a connection to prior launch vehicle acoustics studies, which helps identify useful models and methods for understanding rocket noise.