Community-based noise measurements of the Artemis-I mission

Abstract

This paper investigates the measured far-field noise from the Space Launch System’s Artemis-I mission liftoff. Pressure waveform data were collected at seven locations 12 to 50 kilometers from Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Launch Complex 39B in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Reported are initial analyses of these measurements outside the perimeter of KSC, including waveform characteristics, overall sound pressure levels, and frequency spectra. Analyses build upon an initial publication [K. L. Gee et al. , JASA Exp. Lett. 3, 023601 (2023)] that documented acoustical phenomena at stations 1.5 to 5.2 km from the pad and contributed to a more complete understanding of the noise produced by super heavy-lift launch vehicles. At the stations discussed in this paper, maximum overall sound pressure levels ranged from less than 65 dB to 116 dB with significant variations seen at equidistant locations. As distance increases, one-third-octave band spectra show a significant decrease in peak frequency from 18 Hz down to 3 Hz and a reduction in relative high-frequency content.