What is NASA doing?…People who are living in space and traveling trough space….oh yeah, that's right…they are building a space defense but not for keeping things out, but to keep you IN.
One step closer to civilian space travel: Engine breakthrough could see jets fly from London to Sydney in less than five hours
It is being hailed as the greatest breakthrough in air travel since the invention of the jet.
British experts yesterday unveiled an engine that promises to fly passengers from London to Sydney in under five hours at speeds of up to 4,000mph.
Its creators believe the revolutionary design, which yesterday gained formal approval from the European Space Agency, could also be used to send satellites into space at a fraction of the current cost.
Ground breaking: Tests have begun on a new engine that could launch a Skylon spaceplane into orbit as business leaders urge for a spaceport in the UK
Space age: The engine could transform the way we travel – making it possible to get anywhere in the Earth within just four hours
The design created by engineers at Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines can cool air entering an engine from 1,000C to -150C in a hundredth of a second – six times faster than the blink of an eye – without creating ice blockages.
This allows the engine to run safely at much higher power than is currently possible without the risk overheating and breaking apart.
The design – known as an air-breathing rocket engine and named Sabre – could power a new generation of Mach 5 passenger jets, called the Lapcat, dramatically cutting flying times.
While normal long-haul passenger jets cruise at around 35,000ft, the Lapcat could fly as high as 92,000ft at speeds of up to 4,000mph.
Skylon limits: The developers are still seeking £250m in funding for the project to get off the ground