“Why didn’t they just say that instead all of this stupid hype?”
They did ...
Article: This allowed them to better gauge the occurrence of what is known as Mach cutoff, a phenomenon that occurs when a sonic boom refracts in the atmosphere, preventing it from reaching the ground.
This allowed them to better gauge the occurrence of what is known as Mach cutoff, a phenomenon that occurs when a sonic boom refracts in the atmosphere, preventing it from reaching the ground.means, "for an aircraft flying at a supersonic speed of about Mach 1.2 or less at an altitude above 35,000 feet, the shockwaves being produced typically do not reach the ground, so no sonic boom is heard."
If that is a known fact, why did they have to better gauge the occurrence of what is known as Mach cutoff... It is a simple fact that the higher the altitude (distance) the greater the attenuation of the sound wave.