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India Plans Hypersonic Space Plane by 2007
MaximusTheGreat writes "While India has announced plans for a hypersonic plane (speeds greater than mach 5) before, this is the first time a firm date for test of an unmanned plane has been given. Final version of this plane called Aerobic Vehicle for Hypersonic Aerospace Transportation (AVATAR) is envisaged to deliver a 500 kg to 1,000 kg payload to low earth orbit. It will reduce the cost of space travel to a fraction to what it is today, by being completely reusable. Also, by allowing hypersonic speeds, it would for example reduce the travel time from Sydney, Australia to New York to less than 3 hrs. The crucial technology in the development of Hypersonic planes is supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet). India has already demonstrated the basic technology of ramjets by the development of world's fastest cruise missile Brahmos which outspeeds famous US Tomahawk by three times, and by ground tests of scramjets. US, Australia and Japan are also pursuing similar programs."
If I had mod points, I can't say I'd be quite sure if I'd actually say that was funny or informative.
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You don't need to be a superpower to experiment in this area. The University of Queensland here in Oz has the HyShot program which, despite a few teething problems, is producing world class results. The US has yet to see any results from its X-43 series. It will be interesting to see if India can live up to its own hype. Good luck to them.
> First our jobs, now are missiles.
I guess they've taken our ability to write coherent English as well.
Don't forget to talk about the short range of Brahmos, only 280 km. Sure, you could bring your ship in close and fire a supersonic Brahmos from no more (and probably less) than 280 km from the target, and it would quickly arrive and blow up something. And before you could escape, you'd have aircraft all over you and they'd blow your ass out of the water.
Kind of negates a lot of the advantage of the speed. The Tomahwak may take longer to get there, but because of its range, retaliatory strikes are difficult to make, and there is plenty of time to be prepared for them and attempt to defeat them.
Or viewed another way, the Brahmos may be plenty fast and plenty accurate and have a low radar signature, but you shoot you Brahmos at me and I'll shoot my Tomahawk at you. 20 minutes after the Brahmos fell in the ocean because it ran out of fuel, my Tomahawk will arrive at your location.
Also, they make no mention of air or submarine launch capabilities, something Tomahawks have long had. Only land and surface ship launches are mentioned in the Brahmos article. In view of its short range and limited launch options, I don't see Brahmos taking center stage away from the Tomahawk anytime soon.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Europe is somewhat different. Western Europe is very much a post-modern society, whose power is economic and diplomatic (and in those areas FAR exceeds the US's power). And has little interest in Imperialism of any kind.
Ok, first of all--Europe is a post-modern society?? What the hell does that mean?!
Not interested in Imperialism? Really? Tell that to the French neo-colonies in West Africa. I wish I still had the link, I saw a great picture after France unilaterally sent troops in Cote d'Ivoire of Ivoirians holding up signs saying "Bush! Save us from the French!" Better yet, tell that to all the struggling 3rd world farmers who are oppressed by subsidized European agricultural goods. Economic imperialism at its finest!
You think European economic and diplomatic power far exceeds the US? Well, the economic point is so laughable as to not even deserve refutation, and the I'll refute the second below!
Also, show me some European led international diplomacy that has gone succesfully without US participation? They've certainly managed to do a bang up job in the middle east! Who is spear heading peace in the Middle East right now? The US. Who was responsible for peace between Israel and Egypt. Largely the US! Who is responsible for Libya opening? The US! Who is responsible for recent NK negotiations? The US. Show me ANY comparable European led initiatives.
Which is strange as the US just over a 100 years ago also lacked imperial ambition - but then post WW2 took serveral major steps backwards (imo): Vietnam, Panama, Iraq 2003.
Inaccurate representation of American history--you need to go much farther back. Hell, start looking back to the 1840's if you want to see American imperialism in its nascent form. You absolutely cannot say that American imperialism starts post-ww2. I can list examples if you don't know them, or are interested, just reply, I'd be glad to.
So personally I'm relaxed about West European countries (and I include Canada, Australia and New Zealand in that group as culturally they are) having nukes. The US, India and Pakistan owning nukes however scares the crap out of me.
If you're European all I can say is, WW2 would have been much nicer had the US not joined the European front, and had the US not nuked Japan. Things would have been rosy and happy all around! And since then, America's nuclear atrocities are absolutely unforgivable. Your post is truly insightful!
Do yourself a favor, and visit India before you make hollow remarks based on some one-sided documentary made 50 years ago, or on the CNN documentary you saw.
I grew up in rural India. Guess what? Not only BASIC, but much more than BASIC medical care is available for FREE if you go to a Govt. run hospital.
My sister's a doc in India. It's a private practice, and if she feels that her patient can't afford it, she does't charge them. And most of the docs in India have the same attitude. Do you know what a Hippocratic Oath is?. So if you are comparing the US medical amenities & cost to India, there is one huge component missing in the US... compassion. Don't compare apples to oranges.
From importing most of the grains in the past 30-40 years, India is now the world's largest foodgrains producer, the second largest fruit producer, the largest vegetable-producer, and the largest milk producer. India can not only feed its entire population, but it exports too. CNN didn't tell you that did it?
Another fact for the news deprived: India has NEVER had an expansionist ideology. Go read up some history. How about a few thousand years back from 2004? India has always been attacked before she responded in every single war since she was formed in 1947. Can you say I-R-A-Q? Who's a hippocrite?
Back to the topic... this is for the thought-handicapped:
If this project is successful, then India will be competing with Boeing and Airbus, never mind the military applications. How is that bad? Isn't that going to get more money into India? Was IT bad for India? The US refused to sell us a Supercomputer (one of the Cray machines) back in the 90s. Surprise, surprise! We built one that was faster and much cheaper than the Cray we were looking to buy for Weather Forecasting. Thanks a bunch US!
Then the US blocked the sale of some rocket parts from Russia. We built it from scratch. Thanks again US! We should be partners!! Oh wait, that pisses off Musharraf, the Chinese Commies, half the fucking Arab world... never mind, we can manage it on our own...
Would the US be self-reliant and the leader of the world if the politicians here threw up their hands and sat on their asses after all the US residents all had running water? You sound just like the geniuses who screamed "WASTE" when the US space program was launched.
Flaimbait? No, just an Indian who is fsking pissed that people can be so fsking unintelligent.
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Sometimes the voices in my head speak over each other. This is one of those times.