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SPRINT ABM - Zero to Mach 10 in 5 Seconds!

BARocketeer · 302.1K views · 2010-12-27 · 1:15

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Overview

A short clip of the Sprint anti-ballistic missile, which was launched from a silo and reached Mach 10 within seconds. Its nose and skin glow white hot from aerodynamic heating.

On Hacker News

HN links it as striking footage of how fast and heat-stressed hypersonic interceptors and ICBM re-entry vehicles are.

Discussed on HN; no positive recommendation is recorded in this export · HN mentions 2013–2021

Topics

Military history & warfareAviation & aerospace engineering
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sprint missilehypersonicmissile defensecold waraerodynamic heating

What people said

danbruc · 2021-02 · Reference

When it comes to going fast through the atmosphere I always think of the Sprint anti-ballistic missile [1]. From zero to Mach 10 in five seconds, accelerating at 100 g, glowing white with a skin temperature of thousands of degrees, to intercept an incoming ICBM that is less than 10 seconds away from impact by detonating its own low-yield thermonuclear warhead in front of the target. There are also a few bits of footage [2] on YouTube. [1] [LINK] [2] [VIDEO]

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papermachete · 2019-12 · Reference

The USA has had Mach 23 ICBMs [1] and Mach 10 anti-ICBMs [2][2.2] since the 60s and 70s respectively. The Sprint rocket actually glows white hot because of its high speed. [1] [LINK] [2] [LINK] [2.2] [VIDEO]

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PhantomGremlin · 2019-12 · Reference

There is a long history of using nukes to intercept missiles. Here's one of the USA's (ancient) efforts:[1] Both missiles [long range and short range] used nuclear warheads, and they relied on destroying or damaging the incoming warhead with radiation rather than heat or blast. The technology was quite impressive for its time. A Youtube video is titled "SPRINT ABM - Zero to Mach 10 in 5 Seconds", with a caption in the video pointing out "white hot skin". [2] [1] [LINK] [2] [VIDEO]

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Sources

Video by BARocketeer, played through YouTube.

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