And the point is?

Now firstly knowing the internet all too well, this topic could fly off the handle easily, so I would like to request we not do any country or person bashing please

So reading the news, this is amazing technology.... but what is the point?

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolo...htv-2-glider-the-worlds-fastest-plane/243467/

Given the current economic climate world wide, why would so much money be spent on something that realistically is pointless and useless with the exception of bragging rights?

I actually would be interested in any reason or if anyone actually knows, like I said... very cool... but why?

 

The D in DARPA as in 'Defence'. The Predator wasn't much some 20 years ago either, just a surveillance drone.

It actually should be called OARPA(Offensive).:-D

 

The internet is another DARPA creation. How many saw the point back then?

 

"Part of a program named the Prompt Global Strike, the HTV-2 is just one piece in DARPA's work to develop an advanced weapons system capable of reaching any point in the world in less than an hour."

This is probably the point Ned.

 

I realise that, but since it can't carry people and at that speed is highly unlikely to be able to drop or target anything and given it reaches 2000c which I'm gonna hazard a guess is too hot for any known weapon to be stable.... etc etc etc..see my point? :-D

 

Your point has been made many times about many things, such as the airplane or automobile.

 

Not really, the airplane and automobile both had a purpose , this just seems to be the most expensive bragging rights in history... also the others you speak of wer'nt researched in the middle of world financial difficulties.

Priorities is more my point.

 

Their point is that they can bomb anyone within the hour, no need for a time delay getting a carrier group within range of fighter planes and not risking any lives in the process. We'll bomb you silly if you don't behave.

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/air-breathing-rocket.htm

This sounds like a valid reason - better than a previous failure of DARPA's - the Orion project - a nuke spacecraft.

 

The space race, far more expensive than this, was all bragging rights but we enjoy it's fruits even today. These hypersonic engines mated with rocket engines could even be the next space shuttle.

 

Nah they are to be filled with bread and water and sent to needy families in Africa on an hourly basis,GPS targeted ballistic charity:-D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet

Scramjets have been around for a while,people who are into rocketry 'like me' like reading and discussing the viability of scramjets for orbital flight and ATM I'm in the camp of probably not:confused There are obvious advantages such as doing away with oxidiser but there are also many disadvantages the main one being they need conventional rockets to get them up to working speed and then more conventional rockets to reach escape velocity so any gains from weight loss/fuel efficiency could be lost in vehicle complexity and reliability.

Scramjets are also pretty useless for passenger flight as they are VERY inefficient when compared to jet engines,the concorde was too noisy and fuel hungry to be cost effective so a scramjet powered vehicle would be mind bindingly expensive to run,even though you would be on holiday before you've packed your bags:-D

IMHO its only really viable for a weapons system but I want to see the technology pushed to its limit,if we stop striving for the boundries set by the universe such as speed and space the human race will just stagnate,we'd just be surviving.

What are we 'the human race' if we did just survive?

A self aware fast breeding consumption virus.