Related Sections: Space
Skylon spaceplane concept is reusable, cheap*
Somewhat reminiscent of one of Professor Calculus's creations for cub reporter Tintin, the Skylon is what is known as a reusable launch vehicle for unpiloted space shenanigans. In short, it's a space plane. The creation of Reaction Engines Limited, a British outfit based at the Culham Science Center in Oxfordshire, the Skylon will be able to take off from and land at normal airport runways in order to deliver its payload of up to 13 tons in orbit.
All of this is thanks to Skylon's Sabre propulsion system, which is part jet engine, part rocket engine. The thrust is created by burning hydrogen and oxygen — a tricky concept, because air in the lower atmosphere can reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to cool the air before compressing and burning it, Reaction Engines have created a heat exchanger pre-cooler, which consists of ultra-fine piping that drops the temperature of the hot intake gases to minus 200°F in just one hundredth of a second.
Whilst perhaps not yet as tangible as Richard Branson's White Knight Two, Skylon's technology is, you've got to admit, pretty amazing. And just look at the scale of the thing — it's immense! — in the gallery below. What does it remind you of?
*Cheaper than most space travel, that is.
Reaction Engines, via BBC
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By Stan Winstone at 10:08 AM ON 07/30/09
Skylons are fracking toasters!
By democratsarefascists at 2:34 PM ON 07/30/09
It's the Sanger come to life!
By Bryan Price at 3:45 PM ON 07/30/09
Reminds me of one bigass SR-71. That, or one of the Thunderbirds or Fireball XL5 (probably way too old for you youngsters).
By James D. Stilwell at 6:21 PM ON 07/30/09
Dummies! Refueled in orbit, Skylon will take its 40 passengers to the Moon and back! That's what it's really meant to carry! Passengers! Dummies!
By murc at 8:23 PM ON 07/30/09
Obviously the answer is the Space Shuttle. (its cargo bay looks identical, even the arm)
As for the looks, it reminds me the SR-71's predecessor, which most people dont even know about, the CL-400 'suntan'.
I went to their website...WOW, some lofty goals...but no mention of ANY time table...
They talk about the whole thing costing 10 billion (ouch) have fun getting that many investors.....
They even talk about building giant orbital stations...which are huge, and pressurized, so people can build bigger space faring crafts.
well...good luck to them, I hope they get their funding.
By Mark at 8:48 PM ON 07/30/09
I'll believe it when I see it. There are a large number of people that have lofty (pun not intended) dreams in the aerospace industry. And most fail. It has a very similar goal as the Lockheed venturestar. How about all the x-prize losers that are still attempting to build there space planes. Still none off the ground.
By Tsuke13 at 6:53 PM ON 07/31/09
@ Mark, I normally dont respond to these things but.....
"How about all the x-prize losers that are still attempting to build there space planes. Still none off the ground."
Burt Rutan, White Knight II, working x-prize ship, or White Knight I, which has been and sustained 53,000 ft plus. Clearly off the ground, and well on their way.
By Mark at 1:37 AM ON 08/01/09
@Tsuke13
Loser as in the contestants in the race that did not win. There are plenty that are still trying and still not off the ground. Maybe you should keep to the norm and not respond.
And yes I know that Scaled Composites are well on the way to completing white knight 2.
By murc at 2:46 AM ON 08/01/09
I for one think private spaceflight is growing at a good pace. X-Prize is a good foundation, its helping invigorate private space flight.
BTW, White Knight 2 is finished, its currently being showed off at Oshkosh. And SpaceShip 2 will be completed by December.
their has been plenty of accomplishments by many different companies. Scaled Composites is my favorite company. If SpaceShip 2 does good, they will make SpaceShip 3...which is going to be a LEO craft!
Armadillo aerospace has done some good work with their lunar lander.
SpaceX launched its first successful rocket a couple months ago, although I'm more excited about their big dog the Falcon 9, which I believe is launching late 09.
Bigelow aerospace has good progress on their space station inflatables, and has even has a couple hangin out in space now.
Their is a lot of interest in space now. Someday I would like to go, But the ticket price is going to have to fall a long long way.
By Javier at 8:29 AM ON 08/06/09
Looks something out of the Thundebirds series!!
By The Corb at 8:52 AM ON 08/06/09
Blackbird (One awesome airplane!)
By Sander at 9:59 AM ON 08/06/09
It's pretty easy to come up with good ideas regarding space planes, quite a different one altogether to actually build and fly it. I certainly wouldn't want to discourage any company from trying but it's not like they're stupid at Lockheed and Boeing. In most cases the math simply doesn't work out. The amount of energy needed to get to orbit is so great that you need massive amounts of fuel which means a larger craft which means more fuel etc.
I wish them luck and I hope they prove skeptics like me wrong. It would be great to have a true space plane but until we get new energy sources I'm not sure it'll happen.
Meanwhile it looks like an SR-71 blown up to Tunderbird proportions :)
By Sokoban at 11:17 AM ON 08/06/09
THUNDERBIRDS! BABY!
By mnich13 at 11:41 AM ON 08/06/09
Another vote for Fireball XL-5!
By steve at 12:20 PM ON 08/06/09
1950's movie when worlds collide minus the sled used to launch
By WhyteKnyght at 1:12 PM ON 08/06/09
Had this handle before the White Knight was even a dream. About the "plane", everyone is thinking a little too mundane and today. It looks like a blacked-out knockoff of the hyper-chrome Naboo starship from Episode 1, The Phantom Menace. Third pic in, over the earth with the cargo bay open, spitting image. I'm sure the inspiration for the Naboo ship was the Blackbird as well though!!
By Trekcat at 7:45 PM ON 08/06/09
Anybody a fan of old SciFi? It reminds me of the space ship that was used in those old Flash Gordon movie serials.
By dragonhung at 4:52 PM ON 08/07/09
Okay, everybody with me - "I wish I were a spaceman, the fastest guy alive..."
And if this doesn't "get off the ground", then someone else will take it a step farther, and so on and so on. Look at the history of the automobile.
I'm just glad there are folk with the cojones to give it a go.
Best of luck to all who are trying to get off this rock!
By Killian at 12:29 AM ON 08/12/09
Thunderbirds are GO!
By Dave D. at 11:14 AM ON 08/12/09
Unfortunately if it is anywhere near viable, the us military -DARPA and or the british MOD will buy it up and squelch any information on if it is viable under terms of national security. A plane like that has too many military uses. They will want to control it to start with. And I cant say i blame them.
By arafel at 7:26 PM ON 08/13/09
it looks like a conjoiner ship but smaller from alastair reynolds revelation space series
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