NEW ORLEANS — Area residents surrounding Mississippi’s Hancock County are advised to expect elevated decibel levels as the John C. Stennis Space Center targets Saturday, Jan. 16, for the final hot fire test in the Green Run test series on NASA’s new Space Launch System core stage.
The acoustic level is not expected to reach high enough to have any damaging effect.
The anticipated test will involve firing four RS-25 engines to produce a combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust. The acoustic level produced is expected to be about 10-20 decibels higher than during a normal single engine test at the site.
The actual acoustic level experienced by area residents will depend on their location relative to the test site and the prevailing weather conditions.
NASA is targeting a two-hour test window that opens at 4 p.m. CST Jan. 16, for the hot fire test of the SLS core stage. Live coverage will begin at 4:20 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, there will be no public test viewing opportunity on site.