>Has there been splash down yet?
Nope, skipped off again, still climbing. Looking more and more like a skip glide trajectory.
>Why is it climbing?
It skipped off the atmosphere for a second time. More altitude this time, might be good for another orbit or more. This is what the Chi Coms just did with their orbital skip glide hypersonic missle.
Two skips makes me wonder if it isn't a re-entry vehicle of some sort as the heating involved in encountering air resistance at orbital speed is massive. It's obviously oriented in a stable configuration. Is it incidental or intentional? We're going to know soon.
>steadily falling now
It scrubbed off some speed last skip, climbed more steeply and higher. Descent is going to be steeper as well.
>uh…. oh
It's gotta have a heat shield to stay in the atmosphere that long riding its own plasma. My money is on skip glide reentry vehicle now. What's the payload(s) and what are the targets? Portland? Sealttle? Maybe trigger a Cascadia event? Maybe we got some little MIRV action going.
Last pass was lost opportunity for EMP,. Perfect placement. >>15315488
Skipped again. Heat shield confirmed.
This is 4.