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submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by edge@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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[-] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Yeah longer range ballistic missiles, from MRBMs to ICBMs, travel above the Karman line in space for long portions of their flight, where the only forces acting on it are gravity and inertia, there is no aerodynamic movement. However, you can put a thrust vector control rocket motor on a warhead like Iran did for the Fattah 1 MRBM to allow trajectory changes, and the MIRV bus or space vehicle of most IRBMs and ICBMs have small rocket motors on them to change course and aim the MIRVs before releasing them. The Soviets also made a MIRV capable MRBM at one point. But the exoatmospheric kill vehicles on interceptors also use lots of mini rocket motors for guided exoatmospheric flight, the SM-3 Block IB interceptor has a 10 rocket thruster solid throttling divert and attitude control system (TDACS/SDACS) on the kill vehicle specifically to counter maneuvering ballistic missiles or warheads.

This is why modern ballistic missiles and their interceptors are quite expensive...

this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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