The construction of a new rocket test facility in the UK could hasten the development of space planes able to take off and land from terrestrial space-ports and hypersonic aircraft that could slash international travel times.
The facility, which is being built by Oxfordshire rocketry specialist Reaction Engines, will be used to carry out the first ground tests of the firm’s SABRE engine, and will pave the way for flight tests of this potentially game-changing propulsion technology.
SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) is an advanced rocket engine able to “breath air” from the atmosphere as well as operate in a pure rocket mode. The concept is claimed to offer a significant reduction in propellant consumption and weight compared to conventional rocket engines that have to carry their own oxygen.
According to its developers the technology could provide thrust from standstill on the runway to speeds above five times the speed of sound in the atmosphere, before transitioning to a rocket mode of operation, allowing spaceflight at up to orbital velocity (equivalent to twenty five times the speed of sound).
The test facility at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, will enable Reaction Engines to test critical subsystems along with the testing of a SABRE engine core, which will commence in 2020.
The company has already successfully undertaken testing of the engine’s pre-cooler and thrust chamber technologies, and will undertake further ground-based high-temperature testing of the pre-cooler early in 2018.
Commenting on the construction of the new facility Reaction Engines’ CEO Mark Thomas said: “This is another exciting step forward in development of Reaction Engines’ SABRE engine and a visible demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the programme. I look forward to seeing this unique facility take shape and commencing our core engine testing, which will be a defining moment for aerospace.”
Alongside applications as the propulsion systems for next generation orbital launch craft and hypersonic aircraft, the company is also eyeing applications of its heat exchanger technology for thermal management across a range of industries including aerospace, motorsport and the energy sector.
The firm has received significant public and private funding to develop its technology, including a £60m package from the UK government, and substantial investment from BAE Systems, which acquired a 20 per cent stake in the company in 2015.
Mega kudos to the engineers on this project. It is a quantum leap in the correct direction, since oxygen on board represents ~89% of propulsion mass. Take off the mass of a large LOX tank, etc., add back in the mass of the smaller vessel, and piping, and a lesser amount of LOX, and you have one lean, mean space propelling machine.
This is probably the most exciting news in propulsion systems engineering. It is a testament to British engineering ingenuity. I sincerely hope once the engine is built and performs as it says on the tin it will remain a British company.
Wescott has been the forgotten child in the Aerospace and Rocket motor sector. The WW II facility has plenty of room for a major expansion and player for the UK Space program. Also there are numerous major engineering companies and Universities and Loughborough College down the road, that will benefit from its results.
By expanding Reaction Engines capabilities with an excellent and enthusiastic engineering and science lead staff; it can only be a winner and shining star for UK engineering expertise in the Aerospace arena.
Do not stifle this with Bureaucratic rules/regulations and demands, let alone give away any of the developed technology as has been done before, let the inquirers pay a fair price and license fee! [remember the TSR2 was cancelled so the RAF could buy the F-111 and it never really was successful, the TSR2 was far superior and so advanced for its time -even today if it was resurrected with the latest engines and electronics!]
Agreed – let’s all hope that, for once, a game-changing technology that has been conceived in the UK is nurtured and developed in the UK. I recall that BAE took a substantial share in Reaction Engines, so hopefully they will be available to provide or guarantee further funding if it is needed, without resort to overseas entities.
[Re the TSR2, the first Thatcher administration seriously looked at resurrecting the project in the early ’80s, but MRCA (Tornado) was too far down the track and the overlap in capability would have impacted the programme badly. The F111K order for the RAF was cancelled, of course. The aircraft itself was judged to be a success by the USAF and the Australians].
Andy, you are correct the Tornado did take some original design features except the Anhedral wing tips, which give enormous lift support and turn capability/stability. One thing the Tornado could not accommodate was a rotary bomb bay and stealth features!
Skylon has been in development longer than I can remember. There is no hope this technology will ever mature as others like spacex with its falcon 9 has already demonstrated reusable rockets and is on course for drastic cost reductions in the next 5 years. Any projected development which spans ten years and costs 20 billion to bring to fruition is doomed to fail. The UK govt spent less than 2 million at the critical point when this technology was cutting edge ten years ago. ESA stepped in and ventured 65 million 5 years ago. Too little too late. With the UK now firmly out of the European union, a joint venture is highly unlikely.
Someone in high places is going to come up with, “It’s taking too much oxygen from the Earth’s atmosphere!” or something like that. As Mr. Temple has already pointed out, the development of this system seems to be going on and on — dragging its feet! What takes the Brits’ ten years in R&D takes other players five years to achieve. We Brits’ seem obsessed on bogging ourselves down in the design stage instead of getting the thing up and running — smoothing out the rough bits at the prototype stage and getting whatever it is into full production in half the time! Mm!