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This topic has moved here: Subject: What does "rated for atmosphere" actually mean?
  • Subject: What does "rated for atmosphere" actually mean?
Subject: What does "rated for atmosphere" actually mean?

Am I supposed to write something funny here?

So as far as I know, there hasn't been a source that says what it exactly means (something about being in atmosphere, obviously).

For example, I have seen person say that because PoA isn't rated for atmosphere, gravity should have cut it half in Reach (When taking off). This is not true, because in Halo: CE we see that it managed to land on 04 in one piece, even without reactor breach or something like that (computers still working also). I suspect it had "UNSC floating devices" (I've seen someone say that they might be room-temperature superconductors, makes sense to me) that were not powerful enough to make it float, but powerful enough to slow down its descent, in case of crashing (CE) or dry docking (Reach).

In halo 3, when Dawn is landing on the Ark, we hear a marine ask about if it's rated for atmosphere. As seen in CE, we see that even a big UNSC ship can land without much damage to the stuff inside ('Hogs, reactors and Longsword were intact). So was the marine expecting Dawn to crash to the place they were in? (Of course with a speed that wouldn't kill them)

Which brings us to my theory about what "rated for atmosphere" means: ability to float, fly around and leave atmosphere without help (PoA had those thrusters). (Dawn hovers above ground and doesn't hit it or get stuck there, which obviously would make it rated for atmosphere)

Any other thoughts? (hopefully this is not too confusing)

  • 06.23.2011 2:52 PM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

why do people not understand that a crash landing (in which you want gravity to pull you down) is completely different than flying around in an atmosphere(in which you don't want to be pulled down).

  • 06.23.2011 2:55 PM PDT

Am I supposed to write something funny here?


Posted by: grey101
why do people not understand that a crash landing (in which you want gravity to pull you down) is completely different than flying around in an atmosphere(in which you don't want to be pulled down).

I don't get your point (I know the two are different though, and I kinda said in OP that it could be hard to understand)

  • 06.23.2011 2:57 PM PDT

not sure what brings people to the conclusion that room temperature superconductors are the solution to anti-gravity. look at superconductors, all the cool experiments with 'floating' and such ALL use magnets, its a magnet that is floating above the superconductor. the magnetic field of planets is nowhere even CLOSE to the strength required to levitate using superconductors, don't forget magnets are thousands of times stronger than our planets magnetic field. magnetism does NOT affect gravitational forces it sometimes gives the 'illusion' of anti-gravity but it is far from it. so the idea of lifting or even slowing a couple million tons worth of mass (a warship!) using superconductors is preposterous at best.

however the UNSC could have developed some sort of actual anti-gravity technology, reducing the effective mass of the ship, using negative mass or something similar. to conclude rated for atmosphere means the ship can enter AND exit the atmosphere without external aid, also that the ships structural strength is adequate to allow atmospheric flight without it being dangerous, the Autumn isn't rated for atmospheric flight, the ship did indeed survive the landing on Installation 04 but the damage would likely have been catastrophic, fair enough the reactor was still functioning but doubt the ship could ever have left without assistance, also it is about as aerodynamic as a block of flats!

  • 06.24.2011 5:17 AM PDT

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"Rated for atmosphere" to me would mean that a ship is able to withstand the external pressure of an atmosphere as well as the external vacuum of space. As for it's method of navigating an atmosphere I wouldn't know but it just means to me that it is quite capable of flying within an atmosphere.

[Edited on 06.24.2011 9:20 AM PDT]

  • 06.24.2011 9:19 AM PDT