3 ms·
>The missile is likely to have reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles) For reference, the international space station is about 220 miles above earth. W
by breitling 9y ago
>The missile is likely to have reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles)
For reference, the international space station is about 220 miles above earth.
Why does a missile need to do so damn high? Is it because it's just a test? Do all missiles go that high?
- tonteldoos 9y agoIIRC, it's to do with getting high, and using gravity/momentum to reach targets further away, rather than flying straight to them. That's my very dumbed down understanding anyway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajectory_of_a_projectile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajectory_of_a_projectile
- l34ch 9y agoMy guess is they need to get in orbit in order to go farther and not get shot down as easily.
- shalmanese 9y agoGetting something high is comparatively easy, getting something fast enough to orbit is a lot harder. Ballistic missiles follow a ballistic trajectory, there's a high initial impulse and then gravity takes over. Generally, you want the most efficient ballistic trajectory because every kg you save in fuel is 1 more kg for the warhead.