Reaction engines

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Reaction Engines Limited
legal form Limited Company
founding 1989
Seat Abingdon (Oxfordshire) , England
EnglandEngland 
management Nigel McNair Scott (Chairman),
Mark Thomas ( CEO )
Number of employees approx. 200 (unchecked self-declaration)
Branch Aerospace Engineering
Website www.reactionengines.co.uk

Reaction Engines Limited ( REL ) is a UK aerospace company based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England . It became known around 2010 with a proposal for the Skylon space shuttle project .

In 2019, Reaction Engines specified the production of heat exchangers and the development of the Saber rocket engine, which goes back to the Skylon project, as areas of activity .

history

Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond (chief engineer of the British Interplanetary Society's Daedalus project ), Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott (both Rolls-Royce chief engineers of the RB545 project). They were already working together on the HOTOL spacecraft project before it was discontinued in 1988 due to technical hurdles.

The company conducts research into propulsion methods for space travel , currently focusing primarily on Saber engines.

Current research

Saber

In February 2009, ESA announced that it was partly helping to finance the Saber engine so that a working prototype could be produced by 2011. REL has received funding from ESA to assess the applicability of its technology to the Lapcat program. The project should also be funded through the sale of knowledge and advice.

Around 2012 development efforts focused on the pre-coolers and heat exchangers. In November 2012, Reaction Engines announced that a series of tests to validate its cooler technology had been successfully completed. This is one of the main hurdles to completing the project. After evaluating the data on the engine precooler and heat exchanger, ESA assumed that the technology required to continue engine development was available.

Studies

Reaction Engines Ltd. published various ideas and concepts.

Skylon

Skylon refers to the design of a reusable SSTO (single-stage-to-orbit) - spaceplane with innovative combination engines (Saber).

Passenger module for Skylon

Although intended solely for positioning and retrieving satellites, a draft passenger module for Skylon was presented.

This module should fit exactly into the space shuttle's payload bay and be able to transport 24 passengers and 1 crew member. The concept also envisaged a docking adapter for the international space station and a suitable airlock. Space shuttle- like windows on the top of the ferry should allow passengers to enjoy the view. A space toilet , washroom and other hygienic facilities should also be included, as well as an under-floor life support system and various areas for stowing equipment and cargo.

Reaction Engines A2

On February 5, 2008 REL presented the draft of the passenger aircraft A2 , which is suitable for non-stop flights at hypersonic speed (Mach 5+) non-stop around half the world. The engine of the A2, the Scimitar , was to be based on the Saber engine, but without its rocket properties, as it would primarily be optimized for atmospheric flights.

Orbital Base Station

The Orbital Base Station (OBS) was a concept of an expandable space station that could not only be an essential part of later space transport systems, but also the starting point for manned lunar and Mars missions. Up to four Skylon space shuttles should be able to dock at the same time, whereby a new docking mechanism should minimize the likelihood of damage to the space shuttles and the space station.

A structure like that of the ISS and Mir, consisting of several interconnected modules, was planned. They should have a cylindrical structure, which would have offered enough space, v. a. to carry out maintenance work on spaceships . A habitation module , robotic arms and fuel containers for refueling spaceships were also discussed.

FLUYT OTV

The FLUYT Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) was a concept for a space tug. It should be able to dock with a spaceship in order to then move its cargo into the desired orbit. Like all of REL's other space projects, OTV depended on Skylon. The OTV should fit into the cargo bay of the space plane and thus be transported into space. There it was u. a. help set up the Orbital Base Station and is intended to be an integral part of the Reaction Engines TROY project .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Management , reactionengines.co.uk, accessed May 22, 2019.
  2. ↑ Mark Thomas , reactionengines.co.uk, accessed May 22, 2019.
  3. ↑ Rob Coppinger: Skylon spaceplane engine technology gets European funding. Flight Global, February 19, 2009, accessed April 15, 2009 .
  4. ↑ Jonathan Amos: Skylon spaceplane gets cash boost. BBC News, February 19, 2009, accessed April 15, 2009 .
  5. ↑ Amy Svitak: ESA Validates Saber Engine Technology . Aviation Week . November 29, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  6. ↑ Reaction Engines Limited: The biggest breakthrough in propulsion since the jet engine (PDF; 544 kB) Reaction Engines Limited . November 28, 2012. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved on November 28, 2012.
  7. ↑ Passenger module study for Reaction Engines Skylon ( Memento June 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ).
  8. ↑ Hypersonic passenger jet designed. BBC News, February 5, 2008, accessed April 15, 2009 .
  9. ↑ Doug Messier: Skylon Plans Include Base Station, Passenger Service. Parabolic Arc, March 21, 2009, accessed October 4, 2012 .
  10. ↑ Advanced Studies: Orbital Base Station ( Memento from July 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive ).
  11. ↑ The Flyut OTV ( Memento of 5 July 2012 at the Internet Archive ).