Re: "I'll put my money on a Skylon."
its in TV programs that have been on since the 1990's, 5 copper plates 1/4 inch thick, 1 -> 2 inches apart, and that is used to stop space dust
its just the same as this, so i guess they use ceramic nowadays https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/laboratories/hypervelocity/mmod.html
silicon and graphite and some colliision physic's would end up more like http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris/Hypervelocity_impacts_and_protecting_spacecraft
Biting the hand that feeds IT
