How loud is the noise from billionaire Elon Musk's rocket launch?

Professor Gee, who has spent his career studying the high-intensity sounds from rocket launches like NASA's Artemis I, said the sound from the Starship launch had its own unique character.

What would it feel like to witness the launch of not just any rocket, but SpaceX's Starship, owned by tech billionaire Musk, the world's largest and most powerful rocket?

SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket carrying the unmanned Starship spacecraft lifts off from the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas, US, on March 14, 2024. (Photo: AFP/VNA).

Noah Pulsipher, a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), who witnessed the Starship launch in October, said it was definitely the loudest sound he had ever heard. 'You could feel the sound enveloping your body, sometimes it felt like it was pushing you back,' Pulsipher said. 'All around me, car alarms were going off, dogs were barking, it was a really powerful and memorable experience.'

Pulsipher is currently a member of the PASCAL Space Acoustics Laboratory at BYU, led by physics professor Kent Gee. Gee, who has spent his career studying the high-pitched sounds from rocket launches like NASA's Artemis I, said the sound from the Starship launch was unique.

He shared that the sound has a very overwhelming low rumble, with high-pitched crackles in the background. It's a very special sound experience.

Rocket sounds can be measured scientifically , not just felt . Pulsipher, Gee, and four colleagues from BYU just published a study in the journal JASA Express Letters about the noise from Starship's fifth flight, including the booster landing and the sonic boom.

BYU PASCAL research team. (Photo: phys).

Measurements showed that the sound from the launch was very loud:

• 10km away , the noise is equivalent to a rock concert.
• 20km away , the noise is on par with a table saw or snow blower.
• 30–35km away , the noise still reaches the level of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.

The study also found that a Starship launch generates the equivalent of 4–6 times the noise of a Space Launch System (SLS) launch or at least 10 times the noise of a Falcon 9 space shuttle . As the number of Starship launches is expected to increase to 100 per year, Professor Gee said this noise could have a significant impact on nearby communities.

Noise can rattle windows, disrupt sleep, set off alarms and even affect wildlife, he said . Humans are conquering space, but need to consider how to maintain harmony with the environment, he added. The study will look at the impact on endangered species and community life in the area.

There are currently no regulatory guidelines for noise levels for rocket launches. While the PASCAL team's work is not policy-focused, the data from the study could inform planners and the public as spaceports become more common.

In preparation for Starship's sixth flight on November 19, the PASCAL team shipped three pallets of equipment to Texas, including computers, data acquisition systems, GPS, microphones and windshields. Professor Gee stressed that this is a unique opportunity for students to participate in research like this and that 'BYU is the only university studying rocket noise at this scale.'

For Pulsipher, the thrill of witnessing a rocket launch never fades. 'It's always amazing to see a rocket launch,' he enthuses. 'First you see the flash, then a few seconds later you hear the sound, and then your jaw drops open in awe. It's a truly memorable experience that I look forward to . '