XPost: sci.space.science   
   From: ptrei@rsasecurity.com   
      
   >   
   > "Scott T. Jensen"  wrote in message   
   > news:10fb69a32tgf1b8@corp.supernews.com...   
   >   
   >>I'm up on the Space Station and I go out for a nice little space walk.  I   
   >>take along my specially designed hunting rifle and fire a bullet down at   
   >   
   > the   
   >   
   >>planet.  What would the bullet need to be made of for it to make it all   
   >   
   > the   
   >   
   >>way to the surface and not burn up on entry to our atmosphere?  Is there   
   >>anything the bullet could be made of that would be able it to make the   
   >   
   > trip?   
   >   
   >>And would the speed of the bullet affect its chances?  Would also the   
   >   
   > bullet   
   >   
   >>go weird like how bullets do when you shoot them into a pool of water?   
   >>   
   >>Idly curious,   
   >>Scott Jensen   
      
   Rodney Kelp wrote:   
    > The bullet would not burn up. It is not going 18,000 miles per hour, only   
    > about the speed of sound. It would do the same thing as if shot from the   
    > ground straight up, turn around and come down.   
      
   This is nonsense. The OP has stated that he's 'on the Space   
   Station', which is in orbit, moving at orbital velocity (18,000 mph,   
   or whatever.)   
      
   Firing a gun will impart at most around 2000 mph of delta-v to the   
   slug. So it'll still enter the atmosphere at 16,000 mph plus, and   
   if lead, will probably melt/vaporize.   
      
   Some armor penetrating rounds have steel or tungsten inserts. I doubt   
   if steel would survive, but the tungsten ones might.   
      
   Peter Trei   
      
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