The SST project was basically a government project. They even had both Boeing, Lockheed and North American submitting competing design proposals. They were als

The SST project was basically a government project. They even had both Boeing, Lockheed and North American submitting competing design proposals. They were also originally targeting the transcontinental market, so it would have exclusively flown over land, so the sonic boom issue was way more devastating. They actually ran tests, flying supersonic military aircraft over Oklahoma City for months to see how regular supersonic booms would affect the public. The public outcry was a large part of the reason why congress cancelled the SST project in 1971, long before 1973. They then immediately introduced the supersonic overflight ban to hinder operation of Concorde.