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The mention of SSTO is my annual reminder to check on the Skylon project, using the SABRE air-breathing rocket engines. A hydrogen-fueled engine which can tran
by HPsquared 3y ago
The mention of SSTO is my annual reminder to check on the Skylon project, using the SABRE air-breathing rocket engines.
A hydrogen-fueled engine which can transition between fully air-breathing (for runway takeoff) to pure rocket mode at high altitude. Has a pre-cooler in front of the compressor to improve operation at high Mach number (otherwise the air coming the inlet is too hot when going fast).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylon_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylon_(spacecraft)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SABRE_(rocket_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SABRE_(rocket_engine)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precooled_jet_engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precooled_jet_engine
- ed_blackburn 3y agoI came here to say the same thing. Since the UK Govt granted Reaction Engines £60m to invest in SABRE, I've been infrequently checking in. https://reactionengines.co.uk/advanced-propulsion/sabre/ https://reactionengines.co.uk/advanced-propulsion/sabre/ The SABRE stuff looks _almost_ too good to be true.
- NikkiA 3y agoIt's been 40 years, it IS too good to be true... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_HOTOL#Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_HOTOL#Engine
- pfdietz 3y agoSkylon was basically knocked out by Falcon 9, and even more so by Starship. Skylon doesn't even save on propellant cost. It uses more expensive liquid hydrogen in order to save very cheap liquid oxygen. The only reason to continue to invest in this is if one imagines there's some cruise mission application for the technology, say hypersonic cruise missiles.