China’s hypersonic missiles can be made from steel, scientists say

A team of Chinese scientists say they have found a way to make a hypersonic missile with a steel nose cone – something once seen as a pipe dream.

The researchers, led by Huang Fenglei, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology, unveiled a design for a hypersonic glide anti-ship missile in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Armamentarii last month.

The partial blueprint shows the shell of the warhead – located at the very front of the missile – made from a widely available, high-strength stainless steel.

Steel begins to melt at around 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,190 Fahrenheit), but the nose of a hypersonic weapon can hit temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees in flight due to heating by the atmosphere.

The team says their missile is designed to reach Mach 8 – or eight times the speed of sound – and that it marks a key step forward in thermal protection technology.