4 ms·
This article is not complete without talking about the Space Shuttle. On reentry, "speeds are near 17,500 mph and the Mach number M is nearly twenty five, M < 2
by barkingcat 9y ago
This article is not complete without talking about the Space Shuttle. On reentry, "speeds are near 17,500 mph and the Mach number M is nearly twenty five, M < 25."[1]
Evidently the design of aircraft that can fly above the piloted flight speed record is available, and it can be made safe enough (ok, 2 space shuttles exploded but with further development can be made safer)
I agree that it's a matter of political and economic will, and the introduction of the unpiloted drone changes the picture, but at least for the time that the space shuttle was in operation, humans piloted aircraft for much faster than the official speed record.
[1] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/BGH/hihyper.html https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/BGH/hihyper.html
- kej 9y agoThese records are tracked by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, and they put spacecraft into a separate category. The speed record for manned space flight is held by Apollo 10. Here's some good jumping off points: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vehicle_speed_records https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vehicle_speed_records https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_airspeed_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_airspeed_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_records https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_records
- simplicio 9y agoThe Space Shuttle isn't powered during re-entry, is it? I think in the context of records, "flight" usually is taken to mean self-powered flight, otherwise it gliding (or falling).
- sitharus 9y agoThere are a number of sources that refer to the Space Shuttle Orbiter as a 'flying brick' and that it doesn't fly as much as 'falls with style'. Sure it's fast, but nobody's sure if it flies.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]