Sonic booms of space shuttles landing at Edwards Air Force Base

At a place 33 miles westerly of Edwards Air Force Base, we measured the sonic boom of Space Shuttle Orbiter STS‐1: a peak flat sound pressure level of 125 dB and a A‐weighted sound exposure level of 81 dB. When STS‐1 was 33 miles distant it was approaching EAFB at Mach 2.6 at an altitude above ground of about 23 km (75 kft); slant range from STS‐1 to the sound measurement position about 25 km. Three miles west of EAFB South Base we measured the sonic boom of Orbiter STS‐9: a peak flat sound pressure level of 131 dB (1.4 psf), a flat sound exposure level of 122 dB, an A‐weighted sound exposure level of 95 dB. The duration of the N wave was 380 ms. Presumably, the boom was generated by STS‐9 decelerating through Mach 1.2, and turning eastward, at an altitude above ground about 16 km (52 kft); slant range south to the sound measurement position was about 28 km (90 kft). We also measured in the vicinity of EAFB for STS‐2, STS‐4, STS‐5, STS‐6, STS‐7, and STS‐8. Dc‐to‐5‐kHz recordings of the later booms provide data, with absolute calibration, for waveforms and (1‐Hz band) spectra of sound exposure spectrum level. A‐weighted and C‐weighted sound exposure levels are derived from the wideband recordings.