frank wrote:
There are lots of differnt photos of tests at it out on the web; I just
thought that particular one was pretty photogenic.
I'm still trying to figure out if the RV's are glowing from the heat of
their speed from passage through the atmosphere during descent causing
them to glow, or if flares are attached to them to aid tracking.
To evade ABMs, it behooves one to have the RVs come in as fast as possible.
I don't know what speed they were going when they were photographed, but
when they hit the upper atmosphere they are going around 15,000 mph on a
full range ICBM mission.

Pat


No flares, just ablative coating burning off.


I assumed that was the case, but wasn't sure... having screwed up
completly on several things I thought I was right on over the years in
regards to specific facts in several newsgroup postings, I thought it
might be time to learn from my mistakes and put my immense ego aside for
a moment in regards to what I thought I knew as a sure fact... that
might or not be true...and play it safe and humble for once.
Hopefully, forever. :-D

Pat