Skylon: Supersonic plane that could take you into Space

SKYLON is a design for an unpiloted, reusable, single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane intended to provide reliable, responsive and cost effective access to space.

Skylon is a concept by the British company Reaction Engines Limited (REL). A fleet of such vehicles is envisaged for the future.

Skylon could have a significant impact on many different space operations.

For example, it could deliver payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) where these satellites or other equipment could propel themselves further out into space.

It could be configured to launch multiple small satellites at once from its cargo bay, to provide supplies for space stations in orbit, or to get space station modules, telescopes and other equipment out beyond the Earth's atmosphere in a cost-effective way.

The designers have already created a special interface through which Skylon can link to existing space stations and pass over essential supplies or even passengers.

Further down the line, Skylon could be used as a support vessel for interplanetary missions as a backup for the main spaceships.

From nose to tail Skylon measures 82m. It has a wingspan of 25m and a fuselage diameter of 6.25m.

Prototyping design work on the craft is still very much ongoing, but once the vehicle has received the necessary endurance certifications out in the wild, it will be able to fit a cabin module for transporting up to 30 passengers —eventually, you may be able to take a trip to space from your local airport.

The cabin will be completely self-contained and stored inside the aircraft's cargo bay (in early mock ups from the designers, it looks a bit like a motor home).

Upon re-entry from space, heat is radiated away from the main aeroshell using layers of reflecting foil and low-conductivity shell support posts.

This is the Sabre (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine), a landmark breakthrough in aerospace technology that enables aircraft to reach five times the speed of sound.

The engine is built by Reaction Engines Ltd and there are already several prototype planes in the works.

Over 20 years' worth of development has gone into Sabre Engine, which offers both a rocket mode (for sending aircraft into space) and an air-breathing mode (for cruising through the sky at high speeds).

One of the biggest innovations in the engine is the way it uses oxygen already in the air rather than an on-board oxidiser, significantly reducing the weight of the engine and allowing it to operate like a normal jet engine.

Once above the atmosphere, it can switch to a conventional rocket mode using on-board liquid oxygen.