The Physics of High-Speed Travel — Sound Barrier to Orbit
Blog › Physics · 9 min read · Published 2026-03-03
From Mach 1 to orbital velocity: the physics challenges at each speed regime.
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Pressure waves pile up into a shock wave at Mach 1. Chuck Yeager first achieved it in 1947.
Hypersonic (Mach 5+)
Temperatures reach 1,500–3,000°C. Scramjet propulsion needed.
Orbital
At ~28,000 km/h, an object falls around Earth forever.