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From: ritter@spp1.UUCP (Phillip A. Ritter)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia,net.aviation
Subject: Re: Shuttle sonic booms
Message-ID: <261@spp1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 09:36:20 EST
Article-I.D.: spp1.261
Posted: Thu Jan  2 09:36:20 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 3-Jan-86 08:24:29 EST
References: <8512040306.AA22588@s1-b.arpa> <600@riccb.UUCP> <386@ubvax.UUCP> <8173@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Reply-To: ritter@spp1.UUCP (Phillip A. Ritter)
Organization: TRW, Redondo Beach  CA
Lines: 19
Xref: watmath net.space:5082 net.columbia:1755 net.aviation:2313

In article <8173@ucla-cs.ARPA> scw@ucla-cs.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods) writes:
>...Discussion of airflow dynamics deleted...  Now the distance from the nose
>to the tail of the space shuttle is what? (150 feet??) so assuming
>(20000 feet & Standard Atm. and getting out my trusty pro-star.
>Mach 1 = 621 KTAS = 1048 FPS= ~.14 sec between the first boom and the
>second, but at 50000 Feet & SA Mach 5= 2743 KTAS = 4629 FPS = .03 seconds
>so it sounds like 1 (longer) boom).
>
><scw>

The math may be perfect, but I have to disagree with the last statement.  The
shuttle sonic boom does NOT sound like one long boom.  There are two
DISTICT booms, easily detected by the human ear.  This is from simple
experiance - I have heard them several times as the shuttle passes almost
directly overhead on its way into Edwards.

Phil Ritter
--
Phillip A. Ritter