China develops unique heat-resistant material for hypersonic aircraft

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1147843.shtml

 

Just make the aircraft out of the same stuff they make the reusable spaceX rockets out of. Those go 17,500 mph. Am I missing something?

 

Are you sure about that?

The rockets slow themselves down upon reentry. Also, the exhaust from the rockets acts as an additional heat shield.

 

Well...in order to orbit the earth, you need to be going 17,500 mph.

 

The atmosphere is gone/thin at/near those levels. The concern is reentry, not orbit.