Rocketdyne Warns of Booming Noise
Rocketdyne officials warned that the booming noise of a rocket engine test may be heard this weekend in communities surrounding its Santa Susana Field Laboratory between Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley.
Engineers expect to fire up an Atlas sustainer rocket with 60,000 pounds of thrust for 30 seconds today or Sunday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., said Rocketdyne spokesman Paul Sewell.
“That’s the smallest of what we test,” Sewell said Friday. “They range up to 423,000 pounds [of thrust] for the Atlas booster,” and rockets are test-fired about two to five times per week, he said.
The roar of an engine test is more likely to be heard when there is cloud cover and winds are blowing toward populated areas, he said.
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