![](\"http:\/\/www.esa.int\/var\/esa\/storage\/images\/esa_multimedia\/images\/2017\/09\/leaf_wall\/17137485-1-eng-GB\/LEAF_wall_small.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nESA\u2019s Large European Acoustic Facility<\/a> (LEAF) will be on view to visitors at next month\u2019s ESA Open Day in the Netherlands, along with other facilities in the establishment\u2019s Test Centre.\n<\/p>\n \nLEAF subjects satellites to the same noise a launcher produces as it takes off and flies through the atmosphere. One wall of the chamber \u2013 which stands 11 m wide by 9 m deep and 16.4 m high \u2013 is embedded with a set of enormous sound horns<\/a>. Nitrogen shot through the horns<\/a> can produce a range of noise up to more than 154 decibels, like standing close to multiple jets taking off.\n<\/p>\n \nAs a safety feature, LEAF can operate only once all the doors are closed. Steel-reinforced concrete walls safely contain its noise, coated with epoxy resin to reflect noise to produce a uniform sound field within the chamber<\/a>. The chamber itself is supported on rubber bearing pads to isolate it from its surroundings.\n<\/p>\n \nLEAF is an integral part of ESA\u2019s Test Centre at ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, a collection of spaceflight simulation facilities under a single roof. Following the recent departure of the last of a batch of 22 Galileo satellites<\/u><\/a>, this year\u2019s Open Day<\/u><\/a> on Sunday 8 October will feature a tour of key Test Centre facilities.\n<\/p>\n \nTo attend ESA\u2019s Open Day in the Netherlands you have to register; you can do that here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \nESA’s Large European Acoustic Facility<\/a> (LEAF) will be on view to visitors at next month’s ESA Open Day in the Netherlands, along with other facilities in the establishment’s Test Centre.\n<\/p>\n \nLEAF subjects satellites to the same noise a launcher produces as it takes off and flies through the atmosphere. One wall of the chamber – which stands 11 m wide by 9 m deep and 16.4 m high – is embedded with a set of enormous sound horns<\/a>. Nitrogen shot through the horns<\/a> can produce a range of noise up to more than 154 decibels, like standing close to multiple jets taking off.\n<\/p>\n \nAs a safety feature, LEAF can operate only once all the doors are closed. Steel-reinforced concrete walls safely contain its noise, coated with epoxy resin to reflect noise to produce a uniform sound field within the chamber<\/a>. The chamber itself is supported on rubber bearing pads to isolate it from its surroundings.\n<\/p>\n \nLEAF is an integral part of ESA’s Test Centre at ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, a collection of spaceflight simulation facilities under a single roof. Following the recent departure of the last of a batch of 22 Galileo satellites<\/u><\/a>, this year’s Open Day<\/u><\/a> on Sunday 8 October will feature a tour of key Test Centre facilities.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n