What kind of damage do sonic booms cause?

--- In spacesettlers@y..., "victoriatangoman"
> I have read on numerous occasions that flight paths for the shuttle
> have to be considerate of the double sonic booms it causes.
>
> My questions:
>
> What is a double sonic boom (other than two booms) and what causes
> the double feature rather than the single boom?

Double sonic booms do not just occur with the space shuttle. They
occur in all supersonic aircraft. The first sonic boom is created at
the nose of the craft, and the second at the tail. Most military
aircraft are so short, the two booms occur very closely together, too
close to distinguish between them. With the shuttle (and SR71
blackbird), the distance from the nose shock to the tail shock is
large enough that you can hear both booms. Here is a picture of an
F/A 18 Hornet as it breaks the sound barrier; water vapor condensing
in the shock waves makes both "booms" visible:

http://www.vibrationdata.com/space/F18.htm

:) ed