10 Mach (in and out of world atmosphere at will)

Are you kidding me?

When Hypersonic Flights overcome ‘Material shortfall’

To create a workable hypersonic vehicle, engineers have to overcome, or at least cope with, the severe environment encountered by something moving that fast. The main problem (from which most if not all the others stem) is heat – heat from air friction and from the shock waves generated by moving faster than the speed of sound. We have been looking for the materials that can withstand the speed and the heat when getting out and into the atmosphere with 10Mach for long time. All engineering students and teachers know about it

The temperatures a hypersonic vehicle encounters are so high that conventional materials can’t withstand them and maintain their strength. There are materials that can insulate a structure from the heat, but they tend not to be very strong in themselves, and so any breach of insulation can quickly lead to catastrophic failure – as demonstrated by the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003, and also of some current test vehicles. Research into new heat-resistant materials and suitable manufacturing techniques is therefore a priority.

High air temperatures also reduce the thrust of an air-breathing jet engine, so new propulsion concepts are also needed – relying on rocket engines tends to lead to overly large and heavy aircraft.

Travelling at very high speeds will also require advanced sensors and controls. New materials will be needed again, as conventional radomes and antennae would never withstand the heat. Conformal antennae – where the craft’s fuselage skin is used as the transmitter and receiver – are a possibility, though this is not guaranteed to work. Depending on just how fast the vehicle is designed to travel, ionisation of the air around it could interfere with radio-frequency sensors and communications.

Britain’s current fastest jet is the Eurofighter Typhoon, which has a top speed of around Mach 2, or 1100 mph. (1 Mach = 550mph)

MOSCOW, RUSSIA, March01, 2018: Russian Presdent Vladimir Putin highlighted a test of Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat missile. According to state media, the intercontinental ballistic missile is able to fly 6,800 miles with a payload of 15 warheads, though the actual capabilities of the missile have not been shown. The Russian defence ministry said it had conducted a successful test launch in October, during which the missile had travelled 3,600 miles before hitting a target area in Russia’s far east.

Putin also said Russia had developed a working laser weapon, a “hypersonic” missile and a cruise missile powered by a nuclear reactor that could fly indefinitely.

He said the plane-launched hypersonic missile, called Kinzhal or dagger, could manoeuvre while travelling at more than “10” times the speed of sound, making it “guaranteed to overcome all existing and I think prospective anti-missile systems” and deliver a nuclear strike. Putin claimed it had completed testing and was already in use.

He also spoke about the RS-26 ballistic missile, Avangard, which Putin said “heads towards its target like a meteorite”

Russia has been aggressively marketing its latest military technology. Its first stealth fighter, the Su-57, was deployed to Syria for combat testing