Skylon powered by SABRE engines
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) this week hosted a two day workshop at the International Space Innovation Centre at Harwell, England, involving leading experts from the aerospace industry. On the agenda were discussions relating to the feasibility and development of a reusable Space craft for carrying passengers and payloads into Space.
Engineers from privately owned company Reaction Engines Ltd are developing a new propulsion system to be used on the craft, called SABRE (Synergistic Air Breathing Rocket Engine) using air taken in through intakes, similar to a turbojet engine when in the atmosphere, but then converting to rocket mode when entering Space.
The 270 foot long, unpiloted vehicle could potentially carry up to 24 passengers into Space or be used to transport up to 12 tonnes of cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station.
With a development price tag that is likely to be close to £8 billion, funding the project could be a challenge, but officials from the UKSA believe it could revolutionise future Space travel and cut costs in the long run by making the most use of newly developed technology.
Engineers from privately owned company Reaction Engines Ltd are developing a new propulsion system to be used on the craft, called SABRE (Synergistic Air Breathing Rocket Engine) using air taken in through intakes, similar to a turbojet engine when in the atmosphere, but then converting to rocket mode when entering Space.
The 270 foot long, unpiloted vehicle could potentially carry up to 24 passengers into Space or be used to transport up to 12 tonnes of cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station.
With a development price tag that is likely to be close to £8 billion, funding the project could be a challenge, but officials from the UKSA believe it could revolutionise future Space travel and cut costs in the long run by making the most use of newly developed technology.
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