Reaction Engines Ltd - News: Press Releases
Monday 26th January 2015
FIRST SABRE DEVELOPMENT MILESTONE REACHED
Reaction Engines Ltd announces company growth and completion of first SABRE development milestone
This year, the Reaction Engines team are expanding in staff and activities to complete the SABRE demonstrator programme, with delivery on track for 2019. The company has relocated to larger premises on Culham Science Centre; consolidated its two manufacturing subsidiaries to a single new location in Didcot; and is recruiting across the company, ready for the design, manufacture and testing of the full SABRE engine cycle. This growth phase has also included the purchase of new, bespoke equipment which will enable Reaction Engines to manufacture its proprietary SABRE pre-coolers in-house, at full scale.
The key development activities over the first year of this programme have centred on intakes and combustion systems. This activity includes the recently completed Preliminary Requirements Review development milestone, and has been 50% funded by Reaction Engines’ private capital. Matching funding has been provided by the UK Space Agency, through the European Space Agency. With the UK Government’s commitment of £60m and private capital secured towards the next steps in this development phase, the Reaction Engines team are positive that a full static demonstration of the SABRE engine is achievable before the end of the decade, marking the greatest advance in propulsion since the jet engine.
Alan Bond, Managing Director and Chief Engineer at Reaction Engines Ltd, commented:
“The technology we’ve proven, and our ability to integrate it with both rockets and gas turbines to create SABRE is not just a means to a better rocket. This is the beginning of a new generation of propulsion, enabling faster, more efficient transportation both on Earth and in Space. We’re already seeing humanity gaining huge benefits from space-enabled services, and I believe that our connection with space will grow considerably in the near future; Reaction Engines are breaking down the biggest barrier, which is getting into orbit in the first place. We’re opening the gateway to the solar system."