ESA's hypersonic spaceplane project could revolutionize air travel, defense
ESA and the UK Space Agency are currently underway with Invictus—a project to build a reusable spaceplane powered by the SABRE engine.
Led by Frazer-Nash, with support from Spirit AeroSystems and Cranfield University, the aim is to create a craft that takes off like a plane, flies at over five times the speed of sound near space, then switches to rocket mode for speeds close to orbit.
What is the SABRE engine?
SABRE is pretty unique—it breathes air like a jet at first, then flips to rocket mode as it climbs higher.
Its secret weapon is a super-fast precooler that chills incoming air from 1,000°C to ambient temperature in an instant.
This means less weight since it only needs onboard oxygen once it's way up high.
Project could change how we do defense, travel
Invictus builds on years of UK innovation and could put Europe ahead in reusable hypersonic tech.
According to ESA representatives, the project could change how we do defense, travel, and get into space—making launches cheaper and opening up new possibilities for both aviation and security.