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Comment by mjreacher | Hacker News Reader

Here's a 6 minute video explaining the sprint missile for those unaware and interested (rather fascinating technology for the 70s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dl9Ovwmnxw

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That's honestly why I clicked on the article, it's actually an ABM (anti-ballistic missle)

For those that need a little teaser to be incentivized to click on the YouTube link, here's the title of the video 'Super Pointy Sprint Missile - 0 to Mach 10 in 15 Seconds - 100Gs & 6000°F'

If you have any interest in aerospace at all and have never heard of the Sprint, take a gander, it's a spectacular edge case in engineering.

It'd be a great video if not for the robot narration voice. I wish people would just read it themselves. I couldn't watch it with that voice talking.

I believe it's actually a person who doesn't believe in intonation.

Very fascinating and some truly stunning footage. What I can’t help thinking about viewing this marvel of technology is what humanity might have achieved if the prodigious efforts and staggering sums that went into the Cold War arms race went into making the world a better place…really, as amazing as this is, it was ultimately a tremendous waste.

They did make the world a better place, winning the Cold War dealt a huge blow to totalitarian communist ideology everywhere and many free societies replaced the old Soviet States.

Just look at what the fall of the USSR did for life expectancies there!

It actually went, as it was found that union's demographic statistics was all forged perpetually since Stalin

Forged statistics or not, at least there are not millions being starved to death, sent to gulags, or relocated against their will.

Avoiding war is never a waste and overall technological progress was faster during the Cold War..

"it glows white as it flies". Wow.

Skip first two minutes.

After that has a good mixture of technical and political limitations.

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