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cjameshuff t1_j6k5pl3 wrote

Air-breathing engines aren't comparable to rocket engines. They have big specific impulse numbers because the specific impulse is no longer the impulse available from the propellant, but what's available from just the fuel after that fuel's been combined with the air. And since it's wildly variable with airspeed, it only makes sense for craft that cruise in a given range of airspeeds...in this case, Mach 5 and less.

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