Test Aims To Advance Hybrid Rocket-Jet Engine

U.K.-based Reaction Engines has a DoD contract to further validate technology for a hybrid jet-rocket high-Mach engine.

Thursday, July 07, 2022 at 05:27 PM ET

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The testing campaign, which is also supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory, seeks to build upon previous evaluations of the company's thermal management technology. [Courtesy: Reaction Engines]

Key Takeaways:

Reaction Engines has launched a new phase of testing for its SABRE engine's high-Mach propulsion technology under a U.S. Pentagon contract.
The testing aims to validate its thermal management system, which cools extreme temperatures to enable air-breathing flight up to Mach 5 before switching to rocket mode.
This technology could allow existing jet engines to operate beyond Mach 4 and aims to revolutionize space access by significantly reducing launch costs and vehicle mass.
The project builds upon successful 2019 precooler validations and receives support from U.S. defense programs, the UK Space Agency, and the European Space Agency.

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Reaction Engines, developer of the air-breathing SABRE rocket engine, has launched a new phase of testing of its high-Mach propulsion technology under a Pentagon contract, the U.K.-based company announced Thursday.

The testing campaign, which is also supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory, seeks to build upon previous evaluations of the company’s thermal management technology that cools extreme temperatures by using oxygen from ambient air in order to reach speeds up to Mach 5 before shifting to rocket mode.