There's speed, actual speed, and then there's Mach 5.
Now, we're not talking about the super-fast race car driven by Speed Racer in the '60s Japanese anime named after the hero.
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No, we mean actual speed, which is five times the speed of sound, or about 3,800 mph, fast enough to fly from New York to Los Angeles in about 30 minutes and make Tom Cruise's Maverick character in Top Gun looks like he's standing still. .
Hypersonics is all about the need for speed, and NASA is focusing on this area of study to enable hypersonic point-to-point and space access vehicles.
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“In the long term, NASA envisions reusable hypersonic vehicles with efficient engines for routine flights around the world,” the space agency said in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/armd/aavp/ht/hypersonic-tech-overview/”>your website. “This work supports potential emerging markets in high-speed flight.”
NASA plans to develop a next-generation reusable hypersonic vehicle by 2050 that could serve as the first stage of a two-stage space access vehicle.
The first human-made object to reach hypersonic speeds was a US WAC Corporal sounding rocket on February 24, 1949, which reached speeds greater than Mach 5 but burned up during re-entry into the atmosphere.
Air Force Maj. Robert White was the first pilot to fly a winged aircraft at speeds exceeding Mach 4, 5 and 6 in the rocket-powered research ship x-15 in 1961.
Rocket Lab cites critical need for US space innovation
Chinese scientists reportedly launched a bulky hypersonic aircraft during a recently publicized test flight in 2021, according to the South China Morning Post.
Officials said the plane features a thick, round fuselage and cape-shaped wings, marking a significant departure from thin hypersonic vehicles.
Hypersonic weapons technology is also being developed. German scientists designed the first hypersonic weapon in the 1930s, but it was never built.
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Russia reportedly deployed operational weapons and used them for combat in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and in January 2023 a barrage of Russian hypersonic missiles was launched against kyiv.
US Rocket Laboratory (RKLB) announced on December 9 that it had successfully launched a suborbital mission in November to test hypersonic technology for the US Department of Defense.
“Leveraging commercial launch services allows our nation to affordably test components early and often, accelerating hypersonic development,” said George Rumford, director of the Department of Defense's Test Resource Management Center.
Rocket Lab said the test platform showcased a new set of cutting-edge technologies optimized for testing hypersonic technology with greatly increased payloads.
The company also designed, manufactured, assembled and integrated the experimental hypersonic instrumentation, which was launched on this mission but on a very accelerated schedule.
Rocket Labs said the mission provided hypersonic test launch capabilities under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Testbed (MACH-TB) project, which aims to increase hypersonic flight testing for the United States in support of the technological maturation.
“Hypersonics technology testing is a critical need for the nation and one we are proud to serve with our test launches,” said Brian Rogers, vice president of global launch services for the Long Beach, California-based company.
Rocket Lab, founded in 2006 by Peter Beck of New Zealand, has been launching missions to space for commercial and government customers since 2017. More than 200 payloads have been deployed from its launch sites in the US and New Zealand.
Wall Street Veteran Breaks Rules on Rocket Lab Stock
Veteran trader and TheStreet Pro contributor Stephen Guilfoyle, also known as Sarge, has followed Rocket Lab's journey. The recent announcement has prompted him to bend the rules a little.
The company's shares are up nearly 338% so far this year and are up a whopping 426% year over year.
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Guilfoyle said hypersonic weapons are considered immune to modern defenses, adding: “Unfortunately, the US military is still considered to be behind the Chinese and Russian militaries when it comes to developing reliable hypersonic systems.”
“Additionally, two weeks ago, the Biden Administration awarded a $23.9 million grant to RocketLab USA under the CHIP Act to create a more robust and resilient supply of space-grade solar cells that would be used to power spacecraft. and satellites,” Guilfoyle said. , whose career dates back to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in the 1980s.
The stock soared from late November to early December, hitting a high of $28.10 after beating Wall Street expectations for the third quarter.
Since that high, shares have fallen a bit, closing at $23.24 on December 9, down 5.83% on the day and down 17.3% from that high from just over a week ago. Guilfoyle said, adding that “The balance sheet is in very good shape.”
“You know I hate violating my net basis, but with this one, I don't see any other option if I want to grow the position,” he told investors, referring to the calculated value of an investment after subtracting any relevant deductions or liabilities.
“Our net basis sits at $5.05, which even after the reduction puts us up almost 350%,” Guilfoyle said. “My price target? Currently $33, and that's based on creating a new high that triggers an algorithmic response.”
“Most likely, the time has come to manage this position,” he said.
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