Hypersonic weapon

Typical Low Earth Orbit atmospheric re-entry speed is Mach 25.

[2] At such speed, the molecules of the atmosphere disassociate into a plasma which makes control and communication difficult.

In the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia was seen to have fielded operational weapons and used them for combat.

The Kremlin presents new hypersonic weapons as supposedly capable of overcoming "any" foreign missile defense systems, with the "pre-nuclear deterrence" concept contained in its 2014 iteration of the official Russian Military Doctrine.

[9] See also Hypersonic flight#Hypersonic weapons, National Defense Space Architecture Plans, programs and projects for such weaponry include: This article incorporates public domain material from Kelley M. Sayler.