Reaction Engines, a UK-based aerospace company, is in discussions with Whitehall to secure a £20 million financial boost to support the continued development of its revolutionary hybrid jet-rocket engine amid mounting losses and slow revenue growth. The company aims to pioneer a new era of hypersonic flight, promising that its engines could one day reduce travel time across the globe to just a few hours.
The company’s flagship technology, the “Sabre” engine (Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine), has been under development for years and is designed to achieve speeds of Mach 5 within Earth’s atmosphere and potentially Mach 25 in space. To put that into perspective, Mach 5 is more than three times faster than the iconic Concorde and over twice the speed of the SR-71 Blackbird, the world’s fastest jet-powered aircraft. These advances could enable the creation of high-speed planes, referred to as the “Sons of Concorde.”
In a significant milestone, Reaction Engines recently completed successful tests at its Colorado facility, where the Sabre engine ran at speeds equivalent to five times the speed of sound. Richard Varvill, Reaction Engines’ co-founder and chief technology officer, hailed the achievement as a “momentous landmark” in the company’s mission to develop the first air-breathing engine capable of accelerating from zero to Mach 5.
The development of Sabre holds the promise of transforming aviation, making hypersonic flight a reality. However, the financial lifeline from the government could be critical to advancing the project to its next stage.
The Sabre engine’s hybrid design, which combines elements of both conventional jet engines and rocket propulsion, is expected to revolutionize air travel. Meanwhile, other companies like Boom Technology are working on supersonic aircraft with similar goals. Boom’s “Overture” promises to fly at Mach 1.7—twice the speed of current commercial aircraft—and aims to enter service by 2029, carrying up to 80 passengers.
Both companies’ efforts represent a race to bring faster, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable aviation technologies to market. Reaction Engines’ success could mark a turning point for hypersonic travel, bringing the dream of ultra-fast, intercontinental flights within reach.
By Impact Lab