Ongoing analysis of far-field acoustical measurements during the Artemis-I launch

Abstract

As the global space industry expands, impacts from super heavy-lift launch vehicle noise on payloads, communities, and natural habitats are better understood with improved source models. To support model development, this paper discusses ongoing analyses of far-field acoustical measurements made during the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis-I mission. Fifteen acoustical measurement stations were deployed prior to the launch, including ten autonomous stations within Kennedy Space Center and five manned stations off-Center, up to 50 km from the pad. This paper presents a brief summary of data analyzed from all 15 stations, including A-weighted and unweighted sound pressure levels and spectra. Additionally, the skewness of the pressure time derivative is shown as a quantifier of the noise’s crackling component. Finally, source directivity and sound power analyses are presented. [Work supported in part by the NSF REU Program and the Utah Space Grant Consortium.]