Directivity and sound power of rockets: A comparative analysis of source characteristics and their implementation into a predictive model

Fundamental jet and rocket noise modeling includes quantifying the acoustic power and directivity characteristics of the source. While many attempts have been made to define a model for the sound power and directivity of jets and rockets, many of these models have been based on flawed measurements or methodologies. This paper presents the directivity and sound power characteristics as obtained from launched rockets. The results are compared with those in the literature. The directivity and sound power properties are used in a standard source model for rocket noise, and the resulting predictions are evaluated.