Ultra-fast flights between Sydney and London could be just around the corner, with new funding paving the way for the development of an experimental engine. But don’t be posing for your passport photo just yet, the concept is still far from production and costs
Ultra-fast flights between Sydney and London could be just around the corner, with new funding paving the way for the development of an experimental engine. But don’t be posing for your passport photo just yet, the concept is still far from production and costs are expected to be well out of the regular tourist’s price range.
The promise of four-hour flights from Sydney to London is nothing new, but recent investments may see the technology finally become a reality in the next several years.
On Monday, multinational aerospace company BAE Systems secured a 20 percent share in Reaction Engines Limited (REL), investing £20.6 million (AU$44.16 million) and forming a “working partnership” between both companies.
REL claims the investment will provide it with with “access to critical industrial, technical and capital resources to progress towards the demonstration of a ground based engine” – a major milestone on the road to a fully capable vehicle.
The UK government is expected to confirm a grant of £60 million (AU$128 million) that was pledged towards the development of SABRE, signalling a “transition from a successful research phase into development and testing of the engine”.
The development of Skylon, a futuristic automated spacecraft, promises impossibly short flights and the chance for the ordinary individual to become an astronaut – but how?
REL will also have to demonstrate that their spaceplane is at least as safe as the modern airliner, especially due to one significant difference – there is no human pilot.
The Skylon spaceplane is fully automated, meaning that any emergencies or unexpected circumstances will need to be handled by the autopilot, and it’s unclear whether paying passengers are quite ready to trust their lives to a computer.
What is Skylon?
Skylon is fully reusable spaceplane also known as a single stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicle.
Unlike a traditional rocket, Skylon is designed to take off and land from a ru