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Solonotix t1_j2zug80 wrote

Reply to comment by Plane_Reflection_313 in Dream Chaser: Hypersonic space plane that will ferry passengers to and from Orbital Reef by [deleted]

But hypersonic is a thing. Specifically it is a speed more than 5x the speed of sound, and Earth's escape velocity is ~10x that.

I guess you mean the buzzword usage, which is appropriate. Kind of like saying your menu is "vegetarian", evoking imagery of salads and vegetable dishes, when all you serve is various forms of cheese pizza

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Plane_Reflection_313 t1_j3017tj wrote

Actually generally when referring to ‘hypersonic’ aircraft, we’re talking about things that can maneuver non-ballistically in atmosphere. That is the reason we do not call ICBMs ‘hypersonic missiles’

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F4Z3_G04T t1_j316279 wrote

But dream chaser never goes hypersonic (or only very shortly)

The speed of sound changes in the upper atmosphere. By the time dream chaser is that fast, there is no sound to measure the speed of

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