Spectrum News 13 Interviews Rollins Physicist on Rocket Launch Impacts

As space operations expand on Florida's Space Coast, sound and vibration from rocket launches remain a growing focus for local residents. The city of Cape Canaveral recently commissioned a sound study to evaluate the noise impact of upcoming heavy-lift missions, including NASA's Artemis program and SpaceX's Starship launches.

Coyle led a research effort to collect data and compare real-world acoustic impacts against earlier predictions in NASA environmental assessments. Coyle’s research aimed to directly address the primary physical side effects reported by community members during nearby liftoffs.

"I hadn’t intended to take window vibrations measurements, but residentst said that was something that was most concerning for them," Coyle said, noting that residents raised concerns about the startle and annoyance caused by structural rattling in their homes.

The study analyzed data gathered from a wide variety of operations between October 2025 and May 2026, incorporating measurements from a Falcon Heavy launch, multiple Falcon 9 launches, and the Artemis 2 mission. Coyle’s team built a sample size covering 34 total launches to assess the acoustic baseline of current spaceflight operations. Her colleagues are also gathering comparative measurements at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas to better anticipate the noise profiles of larger vehicle operations.

While the data helped validate what residents were experiencing during launches, Coyle emphasized that understanding the full acoustic impact will require further investigation.

"It gives us enough to know that more research needs to be done," Coyle said.

City officials requested the study proactively as launch frequencies continue to increase and heavier launch vehicles enter regular operation near Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. Coyle is currently in discussions with other nearby municipalities to potentially assist with similar environmental impact studies across the region.