
SpaceX's Falcon 9 is a rocket used for both human and nonhuman space missions, and since 2010, the rocket has been launched over 400 times. Motivated by noise concerns from residents in Ventura County, a team of researchers from BYU and California State University, Bakersfield collected 132 measurements from sonic booms over an area of 200 square miles during the summer of 2024. By collecting data on multiple qualities of the Falcon 9 sonic booms, researchers can help discern how different launch-day variables affect a boom's impact.