Taking the heat out of space flight

The SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) is a new engine class that can operate as a jet and a rocket. Developed by Reaction Engines, it can power aircraft to speeds in excess of 6000km/h (Mach five) in the atmosphere, and around 30,000km/h in space flight (Mach 25).

The engine has been made possible with the development of ultra-lightweight heat exchangers needed by aircraft to cool hot air entering their engines, as well as frost prevention technology. The SABRE engine can cool the incoming airstream from in excess of 1000°C to -150°C in less than 1/100th of a second (six times faster than the blink of an eye). Units are extremely lightweight.

Chemical engineers can find out more about the SABRE engine from Dr Robert Bond, corporate programmes director at Reaction Engines, at an event hosted by the Institution of Chemical Engineer’s (IChemE) Thames Valley Members Group on 23 January in Reading.