Who invented the hypersonic missile?

[PeterBushMan]

Who invented the hypersonic missile?

[Sensei]

Does it matter who? These days, engineers or scientists work in large teams..

[swansont]

6 hours ago, PeterBushMan said:

Who invented the hypersonic missile?

One could Google this.

[MigL]

Hypersonic is a classification for speed in the atmosphere, and usually means >M5, or 5 times the speed of sound in air at that density.
There were certainly rockets which exceeded this speed previous to hypersonic missiles, but they mostly did so in very rarefied ( hi altitude ) atmosphere, or what is considered space.
The main problem is having enough fuel, or burning it slowly enough, to be able to accelerate to M5, in a small enough package.
But for big rockets the technology has been available since the end of WW2.

[Sensei]

V2 rocket had maximum speed 5760 km/h, which is 4.66 mach.

https://www.google.com/search?q=5760+km%2Fh+to+mach

(Google let's you convert speed to mach, nice!)

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Sensei

[John Cuthber]

If the V2 at 5760 km/h was above about 15000 feet (depending slightly on the weather) it would be hypersonic.

https://www.fighter-planes.com/jetmach1.htm