SpaceX will once again attempt to guide a Super Heavy booster back to a safe landing in the arms of Mechazilla — a feat the company accomplished once before during an October test flight and one SpaceX must master as it gears up to fly operational Starship missions.
One issue that may bother local residents, however, is that Super Heavy sends out an earsplitting sonic boom upon its return.
CNN spoke to researchers who monitored noise levels at the October flight.
The sound, detectable miles away at a popular tourist destination, was as loud as a gunshot at close range, the researchers reported in a study that published in November.
The sonic booms associated with the booster landing maneuver could raise new environmental concerns for a rocket development program already mired in them. Sonic boom-related issues may include potential hearing damage for people nearby and minor structural problems for buildings in the area near the Gulf of Mexico.
“I think this has to be carefully watched,” said Dr. Victor Sparrow, a professor and director of the graduate program in acoustics at Penn State who was not involved in the study. “Some people are more sensitive (to noise), and for those sensitive people, this could be a problem for them.
Read more about sonic booms here.
