Elon Musk’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off late at night while everyone was sleeping in Santa Barbara, Southern California. Songwriter and producer Charlie Puth, who lives near the launch site, described the booming sound that woke his pregnant wife in the middle of the night with a start. The loud sound of sonic booms, over 120 dBA, scared local residents.
Taking to social media platform X, Charlie Puth called out the tech billionaire, saying, “Hi @elonmusk…those sonic booms are getting progressively louder since they started launching rockets in Santa Barbara.”
Sharing a harrowing experience that scared his pregnant wife, he expressed concern about loud noise, adding: “This one was 150-160dB today at 3am, it shook our whole house violently and really scared my pregnant wife. I hope they don’t get any louder :/.”
A thunderous sound of launch followed the launch, which took place from the Santa Barbara County base northwest of Los Angeles. The spacecraft carrying 27 Starlink satellites was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on December 10. Starlink satellites, designed to provide high-speed internet, have launched into low Earth orbit.
Notably, volume levels above 120 dBA are not “safe for any length of time,” according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The launch of the SpaceX rocket took place at 3:40 a.m. PT, and weather conditions made the sound of sonic booms prominent. “There was a possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties may have heard one or more sonic booms during launch, but what residents experienced depended on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX said in a statement on its website.
Meanwhile, another upcoming launch is scheduled in the area for the early morning hours of Dec. 14, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Reaction on social networks
One user wrote: “You might want to reconsider leaving near Vandenberg… Launch cadence is approaching 100 per year from two complexes.”
Another user replied: “Starship will be even louder.”
A third comment read: “I’ve been listening to this as my comfort song for years and you’re telling me it’s not a metaphor? It’s literally about Elon and his rockets.”
A fourth user wrote: “Get ready because the cadence will double in the coming years.”
A fifth user asked, “Do you want it to stop running just for you?”
A sixth user said: “Maybe you should consider wearing earplugs or soundproofing your house! Relocating could also be an option.”
