[Kizzy]

This is the new super-plane. Why is it in the news?

The UK government has pumped £60m into a next-generation engine that will apparently make low-cost space travel possible for commercial customers.

Really? Will we be exploring the final frontier by Christmas?

Not quite. The new ‘Sabre’ engine - a hybrid rocket and jet propulsion system which theoretically allows travel anywhere on Earth in four hours or less - is still at least a decade away. However a full ground-based engine test is planned for 2020.

Who’s making it?

A company called Reaction Engines - which is based at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire - has been given a £60m grant by the government to help it develop and build the Skylon super-plane. The cash will also be used to help change the company from being mainly research-based to testing and eventual commercial applications.


60 million!! :/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...-a6718081.html

[arista]

Yes Time Travel

I back it.

[Livia]

Jobs, research and development, export possibilities... what's not to like?

[Kizzy]

Where was the discussion?... An investment this size and there's little mention of it anywhere, unlike HS2 which has been debated for years.

[Livia]

What's to discuss? Who wants to drag this out? Investment is good... it's not like they're sending it abroad so some tin pot government can update their Kalashnikovs.

[Kizzy]

What do you mean 'what's to discuss'? Investment is good if it will benefit the whole of the UK if they are using this amount of money where are the assurances?

This article from last year shows the commercial interests are not passenger travel.

'It looked closely at how an operator of the UK-conceived vehicle might meet the demands of its market.
Those requirements would be primarily to loft big telecoms satellites high above the equator of the Earth, but also to put smaller, Earth-observing spacecraft in Sun-synchronous orbits (a type of orbit around the poles). These are the sorts of jobs the Ariane 5 rocket does today, and which Ariane 6, currently under discussion among European governments, may do from the early 2020s onwards.
Skylon is not in that discussion space at the moment - but it may get there at some point in the future if further technical studies prove positive and the financing can be found to push the concept forward.
The Skylon-based European Launch Service Operator (S-ELSO) study examined some of the hardware the vehicle would need to place satellites in orbit, and aspects of the economic model that would allow the operator to turn a profit. It even looked at how the vehicle could work out of Kourou in French Guiana - Europe's spaceport.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27591432

[Marsh.]

Time travel? Eh? Arista?

[MTVN]

That article also says how 'in all the areas the study considered, it found positive outcomes. The report was intended to provide Esa with the information it needs to help evaluate what would be a completely different way for Europe to go about its launcher business'

Research has been carried out and evaluated and a decision to invest has been made. I see no problem.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by MTVN

That article also says how 'in all the areas the study considered, it found positive outcomes. The report was intended to provide Esa with the information it needs to help evaluate what would be a completely different way for Europe to go about its launcher business'

Research has been carried out and evaluated and a decision to invest has been made. I see no problem.

'Whether Skylon ever becomes a reality depends in large part on the successful development of its Sabre engines, now in the final phase of design and demonstration with REL. To date, Esa's independent audits have found "no showstoppers".
If the hurdle is crossed - and the UK government is providing £60m to help complete the phase - then a Skylon-like vehicle ought to be producible and flying in the 2020s.'

Where are the positives, there are no assurances that this is viable.

[Northern Monkey]

Awesome!It's about time something cool like this came out of the UK.Just one more step to the future.

[waterhog]

marti is that you ? its me macfly

[lostalex]

60 million is not a crazy amount when it comes to designing, engineering, building, testing a brand new aircraft.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by waterhog

marti is that you ? its me macfly

Hey Mcfly! Mcfly! I thought i told you never to come in here Mcfly!

[arista]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Time travel? Eh? Arista?

Yes the Faster we travel
it becomes Time Travel

[Toy Soldier]

To be fair Kizzy, 60 million is not a lot of money in country-wide terms. Almost insignificant, really.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Awesome!It's about time something cool like this came out of the UK.Just one more step to the future.

Originally Posted by lostalex

60 million is not a crazy amount when it comes to designing, engineering, building, testing a brand new aircraft.

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

To be fair Kizzy, 60 million is not a lot of money in country-wide terms. Almost insignificant, really.

Right, right and.... right again.

[Kizzy]

When they are shaving millions from essential services and ploughing it into unsecured investments without consultation I thought it might be?

[Livia]

Without consultation with whom, exactly?

[Kizzy]

According to this they require 220 million, so the 60 million from the govt is to entice further investment.
Funny how hydrogen cars are a nono for some but hydrogen rocket planes are great?

http://www.publications.parliament.u...35/735vw15.htm

[Livia]

If they want to interest people who like cars in hydrogen cars, they need to spend as much effort on the design as the technology. Anyhoo... that's an entirely different matter.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

If they want to interest people who like cars in hydrogen cars, they need to spend as much effort on the design at the technology. Anyhoo... that;'s an entirely different matter.

Was it not the safety not the design that was the biggest issue?

[Northern Monkey]

Meh take it out of the foreign aid budget.We've funded India's space program for long enough.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Meh take it out of the foreign aid budget.We've funded India's space program for long enough.

Couldn't agree more.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Livia

Couldn't agree more.

[Kizzy]

Ah so that's not a different matter... ok, it's not manipulating the conversation to suit an agenda?
If you have a problem with the foreign aid budget start your own thread.