The loudest LEAF
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
In order to test its satellites’ resilience to the noise of launch, the European Space Agency has built the Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF). The facility has walls made of steel-reinforced concrete, 0.5 m thick, and contains noise generators which can produce sound of up to 154 decibels. The ESA reports that no human could survive hearing the system at maximum output.
References
Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF), European Space Agency Website, 16th February 2016, http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Test_centre/Large_European_Acoustic_Facility_LEAF
