BAE Systems, a British aerospace company, is largely investing on hypersonic travel.
BAE is planning to invest $31.8 million with Reaction Engines, a UK-based engineering company, according to CNN. This engineering firm has made a "breakthrough" in aerospace engine technology and the developed technology could be utilized for reusable space vehicles and could even reinvent air travel. According to Reaction Engines, this plan might happen within two decades.
The decision on BAE working with Reaction Engines allows both giant companies to work together on the latter's SABRE technology. SABRE technology is "a new aerospace engine class that combines both jet and rocket technologies with the potential to revolutionize hypersonic flight and the economics of space access," stated in the announcement on BAE's website.
Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine or SABRE is a class of engine that uses air for propulsion and also uses ultra-lightweight heat exchangers to cool down hot air streams when at hypersonic speed. The technology also does not need to carry heavy fuel reserves. A press release on Reaction Engines' website, says that it will "enable aircraft to operate easily at speeds of up to five times the speed of sound or fly directly into Earth orbit".
Reaction Engines' managing director, Mark Thomas, told CNN that SABRE is a rocket engine that can breathe air in the atmosphere "so you don't need to carry so much liquid oxygen on board your vehicle, it massively reduces the weight, and you can put that into vehicle design capability or payload."
"If you're doing hypersonic speed the air is around 1000˚C (1832˚F) which is more typical of the air coming out the back of the engine than goes in the front," he said. "So you have to be able to cool that down really quickly," he added. The technology's design is "absolutely revolutionary... visionary concept".
Tests for SABRE are expected to happen in 2019 according to Sputnik. So the estimated time for the first planes to be launched will still be in 2025. Even though developments on the project won't be evident until at least ten years from now, it is still something that gets everyone excited.
And with the $31.8 investment from BAE, Reaction Engines is hoping for government grants to pour in so they can continue with the project as scheduled.
