KSP is referenced once again in XKCD!

[goldenpeach]

Just read the latest what-if(number 107 at the time of writing this), a little before the end, he propose to use ICBM with a depressed trajectory;telling that it would "make sense to the Kerbal Space Program player out there".

Yeah, I know that the what-if is published every tuesday and that we are thursday but I didn't read the article before.

PS: I made a quick search to see if anyone posted a similar thread but I haven't found anything, sorry if I didn't made a good search and the news was already published.

[vexx32]

Link for the lazy: http://what-if.xkcd.com/107/

I saw this earlier today.

And for the really lazy, the mention in-context:

Over a short flight distance, an ICBM[4] on a typical arc would take about 12 to 15 minutes to cover the distance to your mom.[5] But using depressed trajectories, a technique which should make sense to the Kerbal Space Program players out there, the time to cross the distance between you and your mother could be reduced to as little as six minutes. Of course, the letter might not be readable once the maneuver is completed, but that's okâ€â€your mother will probably no longer be capable of reading it.

[goldenpeach]

oops...

Your post made me realized that I forgot to put a link(thank you for posting the link and making realize that I forgot to do so): it will be handy to those ho doesn't know what is "what if".

the last sentence sound weird...

[zarakon]

Yeah, I know that the what-if is published every tuesday and that we are thursday but I didn't read the article before.

It's actually been coming out in the wednesday-thursday range lately. It wasn't updated when I checked it yesterday (wednesday)

[astropapi1]

Remember the "Six words you never say at NASA"?

I love that guy.

[Rowsdower]

No matter when it's been published, it's always great to see.

[Mr Shifty]

"Depressed trajectories" reminds me of these incredible sub-orbital flights with the XR2 space-plane in Orbiter: 8200km in under 17 minutes from runway take-off at Kennedy to runway landing at Wideawake on Acension Island in the Atlantic. After a blistering scram-jet ascent, they're skimming the very edge of the atmosphere, travelling at greater that Earth escape velocities (~15 km/s), flying upside down so that the lift generated by the wings keeps them hugging the planet. Then for the de-orbit and descent, riding temperature red-lines all the way down to land precisely and safely on the runway. Pretty amazing flying here.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Mr Shifty

[astropapi1]

:0.0:

"Depressed trajectories" reminds me of these incredible sub-orbital flights with the XR2 space-plane in Orbiter: 8200km in under 17 minutes from runway take-off at Kennedy to runway landing at Wideawake on Acension Island in the Atlantic. After a blistering scram-jet ascent, they're skimming the very edge of the atmosphere, travelling at greater that Earth escape velocities (~15 km/s), flying upside down so that the lift generated by the wings keeps them hugging the planet. Then for the de-orbit and descent, riding temperature red-lines all the way down to land precisely and safely on the runway. Pretty amazing flying here.

http://youtu.be/ROgKCxozau4

Damn!

That would be one hell of a ride!