Space vs Atmosphere Speed

[Rex_Eckles]

Basically, many characters on this site are listed with separate space and atmospheric speeds. To my understanding, this is largely because space allows for faster acceleration due to the lack of gravity and lower friction. But I do have a few of questions I'd like to get some input on:

1) Is it required for a verse to have specific statements of faster space-flight speeds to qualify for this separation or can it apply to any verse that has consistently faster feats in space than in atmosphere?

2) The faster an object moves relative to the particles in space, the higher friction they produce, I read somewhere that this affect starts becoming substantial when traveling at low fractions of the speed of light. As such, the friction will continue to slow down your acceleration the faster you go, eventually plateauing your speed (ignoring relativity and the speed of light). Does this mean that a character's top speed isn't necessarily higher in space, just that they can accelerate to said top speed faster?

3) In numerous works of fiction, energy beams and projectiles fired from in-atmosphere reach space, to various degrees like the Moon and beyond, and get their speed calculated. Would these beams reaching space significantly affect how fast they move from that moment onward? I'm well aware that photons aren't affected significantly by this, but what about other types of beams?

 

[Rex_Eckles]

Bump.

 

[Rex_Eckles]

Bump.

 

[Ciel_Trinity439]

Basically, many characters on this site are listed with separate space and atmospheric speeds. To my understanding, this is largely because space allows for faster acceleration due to the lack of gravity and lower friction. But I do have a few of questions I'd like to get some input on:

1) Is it required for a verse to have specific statements of faster space-flight speeds to qualify for this separation or can it apply to any verse that has consistently faster feats in space than in atmosphere?

2) The faster an object moves relative to the particles in space, the higher friction they produce, I read somewhere that this affect starts becoming substantial when traveling at low fractions of the speed of light. As such, the friction will continue to slow down your acceleration the faster you go, eventually plateauing your speed (ignoring relativity and the speed of light). Does this mean that a character's top speed isn't necessarily higher in space, just that they can accelerate to said top speed faster?

3) In numerous works of fiction, energy beams and projectiles fired from in-atmosphere reach space, to various degrees like the Moon and beyond, and get their speed calculated. Would these beams reaching space significantly affect how fast they move from that moment onward? I'm well aware that photons aren't affected significantly by this, but what about other types of beams?

1)
Depends on how high of a rating you're aiming for. Because breaking the Laws of physics is such a common occurance in fiction when it comes to these types of feats, we don't treat it as "X travels at some speed in atmosphere, so he must be N times faster in space". Most authors don't go that far to make the difference.

But if they do make the difference, then yes, the example you described is applicable.

2) this is also pretty much dependent on how well the author implements physics in his verse

3) We calculate their speed based on the amount of time (frames, pannels or video seconds) it takes them to reach space. Beyond that, their speed remains the same as it was initially.

So let's say a beam moves at Hypersonic speed from earth to moon, then beyond the moon, it will travel at the same speed unless stated otherwise

 

[Rex_Eckles]

So let's say a beam moves at Hypersonic speed from earth to moon, then beyond the moon, it will travel at the same speed unless stated otherwise

Is it possible that the beam would rapidly increase in acceleration ones it clears the Karma Line and continues towards to Moon?

 

[Ciel_Trinity439]

Is it possible that the beam would rapidly increase in acceleration ones it clears the Karma Line and continues towards to Moon?

We default no, we don't assume that, because fiction breaks those laws of physics more often then it doesn't

 

[Rex_Eckles]

We default no, we don't assume that, because fiction breaks those laws of physics more often then it doesn't

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.