Sabre hybrid rocket-jet engine

BAE Systems has bought a 20% stake in a company developing a radical engine that could propel aircraft into space. The Sabre hybrid rocket/jet engine is designed to launch satellites at a fraction of current costs

SKYLON SPACEPLANE

Ceramic aeroshell

Orbital manoeuvering

SOMA:

engines

Canards

Provide extra

stability

Hydrogen mixed with

Twin Sabre engines:

oxygen scooped from atmosphere. As air

density falls, engines switch to full rocket

mode using onboard liquid oxygen

Auxiliary

propellant

Liquid oxygen tanks

SOMA

propellant

Payload bay

Liquid

hydrogen

tank

Liquid

hydrogen

tank

Can carry satellites

or 40 passengers

83 metres

Mach 5.5 in atmosphere, Mach 25 in orbit

Length:

Top speed:

80 percent less than standard rocket

200 per vehicle

Fuel use:

Launches:

SABRE

(Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine)

Bypass burners

Compressor

Precoolers:

Fine pipework

Air compressed

before mixing

Excess hydrogen

burned off

extracts heat and drops air

to -140°C in 0.01 seconds

Hot

air

Air intake cone

Open

Closed

Closes when

in conventional

rocket mode

Rocket

engine

nozzles

Combustion

Fuel

chamber:

mixture burned

Sources: Reaction Engines, wire agencies

Pictures: Reaction Engines

Sabre hybrid

rocket-jet engine

BAE Systems has bought a 20% stake in a company developing a radical engine that could propel aircraft into space. The Sabre hybrid rocket/jet engine is designed to launch satellites at a fraction of current costs

SKYLON SPACEPLANE

Ceramic aeroshell

Orbital manoeuvering

SOMA:

engines

Canards:

Provide extra stability

Hydrogen

Twin Sabre engines:

mixed with oxygen scooped from

atmosphere. As air density falls,

engines switch to full rocket mode

using onboard liquid oxygen

Liquid

oxygen tanks

Auxiliary propellant

Payload bay

Liquid

hydrogen

tank

Liquid

hydrogen

tank

SOMA

propellant

Can carry satellites

or 40 passengers

83 metres

Length:

Mach 5.5 in atmosphere, Mach 25 in orbit

Top speed:

80 percent less than standard rocket

Fuel use:

200 per vehicle

Launches:

SABRE

(Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine)

Bypass burners

Precoolers:

Fine pipework

Excess hydrogen

burned off

extracts heat and drops air

to -140°C in 0.01 seconds

Hot air

Rocket

engine

nozzles

Combustion

Compressor

Air compressed

before mixing

Fuel

chamber:

mixture burned

Air intake cone

Open

Closed

Closes when

in conventional

rocket mode

Source/pictures: Reaction Engines, wire agencies

Sabre hybrid

rocket-jet

engine

BAE Systems has bought a 20% stake in a company developing a radical engine that could propel aircraft into space. The Sabre hybrid rocket/jet engine is designed to launch satellites at a fraction of current costs

SKYLON SPACEPLANE

Orbital manoeuvering

SOMA:

engines

Canards

Provide extra

stability

Ceramic aeroshell

Hydrogen

Twin Sabre engines:

mixed with oxygen scooped from

atmosphere. As air density falls,

engines switch to full rocket mode

using onboard liquid oxygen

Liquid oxygen tanks

Liquid hydrogen tanks

83 metres

Length:

Mach 5.5 in

Top speed:

atmosphere, Mach 25 in orbit

80 percent less than

Fuel use:

standard rocket

200 per vehicle

Launches:

SABRE

(Synergistic Air-Breathing

Rocket Engine)

Bypass

burners

Combustion

chamber

Hot air

Precoolers:

Fine pipework

extracts heat and drops air

to -140°C in 0.01 seconds

Air intake cone

Closes when in conventional

rocket mode

Open

Closed

Source/pictures: Reaction Engines,

wire agencies