© 2015 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.

Michael Gilbrook, PhD, GISP, AICPSumant Mallavaram, GISPTim Casey, Elliott Dick, John Van Kirk

MODELING ROCKET LAUNCH NOISE

FOR COMMERCIAL SPACEPORTS

Background Objectives Methodology Summary Questions Contacts

OUTLINE

Federal Spaceport Licensingo FAA Office of Commercial Space

Transportation (AST) o Multiple non-Federal sites established or

proposed Spaceport Colorado o Front Range Airport, east of Denvero NEPA Environmental Assessment requiredo Includes noise modeling & analysiso FAA-approved Integrated Noise Model (INM)

not designed for spaceports

BACKGROUND

© 2013 C. Cunnigham, Albuquerque Journal

Spaceport Colorado

ProposedSpaceportColorado

Front Range Airport Adams County, CO

8,000 Feet

8,000 Feet

Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Industryo Private, for-profit operationso Multiple vehicles in development

Typical Operationso Suborbital flights

• Air launch or horizontal launch from runway• Into space (100 km), but not into orbit• Similar suborbital flight profiles

o Recovery (landing) of orbital vehicles

BACKGROUND

FAA Noise Requirementso Space flights must comply with FAA’s 65 db

day-night average sound level (DNL) standardo “…..the FAA has determined that the cumulative noise energy

exposure of individuals to noise resulting from aviation activities must be established in terms of the day-night average sound level (DNL) in decibels (dB). The 65 DNL is the Federal significance threshold for aircraft noise exposure.

Why a GIS-based 3D noise model?o Legacy approach (XLS + NM-Plot) clumsyo FAA’s Airport GIS initiatives favor delivery of

airport data in GIS format

BACKGROUND

Source: http://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_development/omp/FAQ/Noise_Monitoring/?print=go#q4

Create GIS-based modelo Obtain RLV’s time series, trajectory datao Create GIS-based time series modelo Perform testing & verification

Spaceport Colorado noise analysiso Run scenarioso Generate noise contourso Show compliance with FAA’s 65 DNL standard

OBJECTIVES

Source: https://www.thefundingnetwork.com.au

Assumes Horizontal Launch Flight profile in Excel spreadsheeto Time series (1 second time step)o 1,105 time stepso ~ 20 minutes round trip

Key parameters for noise modeling:o Longitude/ Latitude /Altitude (x,y,z)o Velocity (meters per second)o Heading (2D and 3D vector components)

METHODOLOGY:FLIGHT PATH DATA

Source-Path-Receiver Model Launch site + Runway + Trajectory Rocket noise source Receptor grid on Cartesian coordinates Receptor distance, angle from source Propagation & sound power level Combined sound of several sources

METHODOLOGY: NOISE PROPAGATION

Raster cells represent receptor locations Varying raster resolutiono High density at or near runwayo Low density away from areas of high noise

METHODOLOGY: RECEPTOR GRID

ArcGIS Spatial ModelBuildero Combination of Python, Iterators and

ArcToolbox toolso “Custom” tools for frequently requested

additional analyses Automated Analysis for Multiple Scenarios o Variable # flights (1 per week, 1 per month, etc.)o Variable # of Static Hot Fire Tests per yearo Combination of # flights & hot fire tests

METHODOLOGY: THE “TOOL”

Noise impact calculationo Baseline = General aviation activity (GA)o Spaceport noise effects

• Static Hot Fire Test (SHFT)• Launch event

o Total noise = GA + SHFT + Launcho Increased noise = Total Noise – GAo Sonic booms not included

METHODOLOGY: NOISE LEVEL ANALYSIS

FAA approved the GIS-based spacecraft noise model on October 21, 2014

First ever FAA-approved 3D-GIS launch noise model!

National Academy of Sciences Airport Cooperative Research Program issued research RFP for new launch & sonic boom noise model compatible with FAA’s GIS-based Aviation Environmental Design Tool

Future for GIS: The sky’s the limit!

SUMMARY

QUESTIONS

Sumant MallavaramEsri, Solution Engineersmallavaram@esri.com(210) 499-1044 , ext. 8803

Elliot DickHDR, Acoustical ScientistElliott.Dick@hdrinc.com(763) 278-5926

Michael GilbrookHDR, Geospatial Technical DirectorMichael.Gilbrook@hdrinc.com(407) 420-4253

TO LEARN MORE…