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11/07/2007 01:02:35 PM · #1 |
The whole house just shook. I wasn't sure what was going on, but then remembered the Shuttle was due to pass over around 1:00 on its approach to the Cape.
Anybody else see / feel it? |
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11/07/2007 01:05:49 PM · #2 |
| Nope, not here. Apparently you were Nowhere, near where it happened. :) |
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11/07/2007 01:07:59 PM · #3 |
| Same here. Flight path took it over the city I live in (Columbus,GA) and the sonic boom was loud. Two quick boom-boom. Even though the weather is clear here I could not see it but defiantly felt and heard the sonic boom. |
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11/07/2007 01:31:06 PM · #4 |
Watched it on NASA TV and it was still doing 7000 mph when it passed over Columbus. First landing approach over the US since Columbia burned up. Shuttle Commander wanted a daylight approach. Next launch of a shuttle in December. I wish I could get a ride down to photograph one of them before they're mothballed. But... the launch sked is so frangible that you'd need to set aside a week or two to have any chance of seeing it. In other words you need to live in Florida or be lucky. I'm not lucky. hehe
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11/07/2007 01:42:26 PM · #5 |
I'm about 2 hrs away and haven't made it down yet.
You are right - you have about a 50% chance of a launch going as planned.
It would be pretty cool though. |
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11/07/2007 02:28:55 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Watched it on NASA TV and it was still doing 7000 mph when it passed over Columbus. First landing approach over the US since Columbia burned up. Shuttle Commander wanted a daylight approach. Next launch of a shuttle in December. I wish I could get a ride down to photograph one of them before they're mothballed. But... the launch sked is so frangible that you'd need to set aside a week or two to have any chance of seeing it. In other words you need to live in Florida or be lucky. I'm not lucky. hehe |
About 7 years ago I was in the area, working at a big electronics firm for a couple of days. Was all set up with access passes to watch the launch as I knew a load of NASA engineers. Launch got delayed 2 days, so I got to watch it on TV from a hotel room in Austin, instead :(
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11/07/2007 02:39:25 PM · #7 |
When they used to land the shuttle at Edwards, we used to go watch sometimes and almost every time we'd hear the double sonic boom.
Trivia Question: Why does the shuttle produce a double boom and not a single boom like most supersonic aircraft? |
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11/07/2007 02:46:52 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
When they used to land the shuttle at Edwards, we used to go watch sometimes and almost every time we'd hear the double sonic boom.
Trivia Question: Why does the shuttle produce a double boom and not a single boom like most supersonic aircraft? |
One from the nose, the other from the tail. ( Technically, most supersonic aircraft also create a double boom, but the two booms are so close together, they are interpreted as if there was only a single boom ).
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11/07/2007 02:47:59 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
When they used to land the shuttle at Edwards, we used to go watch sometimes and almost every time we'd hear the double sonic boom.
Trivia Question: Why does the shuttle produce a double boom and not a single boom like most supersonic aircraft? |
I was going to say the first one is the sonic boom and the second one is the shuttle exploding. ;-)
Actually, all aircraft create 2 sonic booms
Sonic booms are created by air pressure. Much like a boat pushes up a bow wave as it travels through the water, a vehicle pushes air molecules aside in such a way they are compressed to the point where shock waves are formed.
These shock waves form two cones, at the nose as well as at the tail of the vehicle. The shock waves move outward and rearward in all directions and usually extend to the ground. As the shock cones spread across the landscape along the flightpath, they create a continuous sonic boom along the full width of the cone's base. The sharp release of pressure, after the buildup by the shock wave, is heard as the sonic boom."
The nose and tail shock waves are usually of similar strength. The time interval between the nose and tail shock waves is primarily dependent on the size of the aircraft and its altitude. Most people on the ground cannot distinguish between the two and they are usually heard as a single sonic boom. As the time interval increases, two booms are heard. A small fighter-type aircraft about 50 ft long will generate nose and tail shock waves of less than a tenth of a second (0.1 sec). The ear usually detects these as a single sonic boom.
The interval between nose and tail shock waves on the Space Shuttles, which are 122 ft long, is about one-half of a second (0.50 sec), making the double boom very distinguishable.
Gotta love Google! |
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11/07/2007 02:47:59 PM · #10 |
bust post
Message edited by author 2007-11-07 14:48:15. |
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11/07/2007 02:51:55 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by scarbrd:
Gotta love Google! |
Until that comment, my awe and respect of your knowledge was immeasurable. |
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11/07/2007 03:00:20 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Simms:
Originally posted by scarbrd:
Gotta love Google! |
Until that comment, my awe and respect of your knowledge was immeasurable. |
Well, the shuttle exploding line was mine!
;-) |
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11/07/2007 03:12:22 PM · #13 |
| Follow up question. What US aircraft also produces a double sonic boom? |
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11/07/2007 03:19:18 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Follow up question. What US aircraft also produces a double sonic boom? |
SR71 - Blackbird |
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11/07/2007 04:03:21 PM · #15 |
| So what was the interval between the two for the Concorde? |
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11/07/2007 04:07:36 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by scarbrd:
The interval between nose and tail shock waves on the Space Shuttles, which are 122 ft long, is about one-half of a second (0.50 sec), making the double boom very distinguishable.
Gotta love Google! |
actually more than two but two are distinguishable due to the reason you mentioned. |
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