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This engine is meant for Skylon spaceplane, an unmanned cargo vehicle. As for noise, there are no reasons to have it overflight any populated areas. I presume t
by dexen 8y ago
This engine is meant for Skylon spaceplane, an unmanned cargo vehicle. As for noise, there are no reasons to have it overflight any populated areas. I presume there would be less noise abatement technologies employed due to need for efficiency.
As for emissions, close to none. The engines are supposed to burn hydrogen, and other emissions (brake pads wear, in-orbit maneuvering via cold thrusters) are minuscule.
- jeremyjh 8y agoThe SP also mentions intercontinental travel applications just like Concorde used to serve.
- close04 8y agoThe Concorde was also limited by where it could fly. There's a limited set of routes you can take before it becomes even less economical by flying a path over water or unpopulated areas. You'd never be able to fly London to New Delhi in super/hypersonic mode I guess.
- dotancohen 8y agoWhat type of cargo does an unmanned plane carry that needs to get to the destination at Mach 5? I am not convinced that this is not military development.
- pastullo 8y agoThis engine is meant to bring stuff (and people) to low earth orbit. Don't think of it as a plane, but as a space shuttle which will be fully reusable with no additional boosters. It flies at up to mach 5 and then switches to rocket mode, thus using it's own oxydizer instead of using the one in the atmosphere.