Engineers at UK-based aerospace firm Reaction Engines have successfully completed the testing of two key sub-systems of its SABRE air-breathing rocket engine.
Reaction Engine’s synergetic air-breathing rocket engine (SABRE) is being designed to offer hypersonic flight and cheaper and more reliable access to space.
SABRE is designed to operate in two modes. From take-off to Mach 5 while still within the atmosphere the engine sucks in air like a conventional jet engine to support combustion of hydrogen fuel, accelerating to 25 times the speed of sound to access space. Once above the atmosphere, SABRE switches to…