3 ms·

So why are they investing in it then?

• stevehawk 4y ago
  to make Americans feel better about the fact that Russia also has them. Plus any research in the field is likely to provide benefit elsewhere.
• superkuh 4y ago
  The USA invested a lot in them in the 1960s/70s. That research pretty much conclusively found lift-generating thrust-producing in-atmosphere hypersonic craft weren't feasible. So the US let it drop. Fast forwards 50 years and other nation states are looking for ways to achieve ICBM-like performance without being mistaken for an ICBM. They foolishly fund these projects and then have to save face. The "hypersonics" are lauded as impressive "new" weapons for propaganda. The US, seeing this propaganda, has researchers that realize they too could use the funding again even if the end goal is silly. They could get in on the propaganda too. I assume the decision makers re: funding just don't understand the physics.