The document discusses Reaction Engines Ltd.'s Skylon spaceplane project. It provides details on Skylon's specifications and capabilities of transporting payloads to low Earth orbit and geostationary transfer orbit. It also describes the SABRE engine being developed to power Skylon, including progress on the pre-cooler technology and testing. The UK government awarded Reaction Engines £60 million in 2013 to further develop the SABRE engine.

1. An Update on SKYLON
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Alan Bond
Managing Director & Chief Engineer
Reaction Engines Ltd.

2. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON Operations
2
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3. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON
3
1990
The SKYLON spaceplane…
the phoenix of HOTOL
1951
Skylon Sculpture
Festival of Britain
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4. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON D1
4
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5. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Thales Alenia Space SUS Concept Design
5
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6. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON & SUS Maximum Geostationary Performance
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SKYLON / SUS Mission
Maximum Mass
of Satellite into
GTO
(Tonnes)
Maximum Mass of Satellite
into GEO
(With 320s SI apogee engine)
(Tonnes)
300 km LEO deployment
Reusable SUS,
7:1 resonance return transfer orbit (GTO)
5.58 (3.50)
185 km LEO deployment
Reusable SUS,
9:1 resonance return transfer orbit
6.39 (4.0)
185 km deployment
Expendable SUS,
destructive re-entry
8.08 (5.07)
300 km LEO deployment
Reusable SUS
5,900 km circular MEO
EP satellite,
20 kW HE thruster, 157 day transit to GEO
N/A
(8.96 GTO
equivalent)
5.61

7. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
P referred SKY LON an d Civil R u nway Po s itio n & Orie ntatio n
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8. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Standard GTO Mission (7:1 resonance)
8
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N 1
2
3
4
5
Perigee burn into GTO
Upper-stage LEO insertion and recovery
Skylon in 300km LEO, payload deployed
1
Satellite serparates in GTO
Satellite apogee burn into GEO
2
3
4
5

9. Length = 83m
Take-off Mass = 325 t
Payload to LEO = 15 t
Payload to GTO = 6.4 – 8t
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON/SUS Performance into Planetary Trajectories
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10. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SABRE Engine
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11. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
The SABRE Engine
11
Pre-Cooler
Turbine
Thrust Chambers
Bypass Duct
Air Intake
Compressor
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12. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SABRE/SKYLON Development Programme
12
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13. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Pre-cooler Production
13
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14. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Pre-cooler Testing, B9 Culham Science Centre
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▪ Over 700 rig tests … over 300 engine pre-cooler tests
▪ -150°C cryogenic temperature
▪ Operation of pre-cooler & frost control system
▪ Steady state cryogenic cooling over a sustained period
▪ Thermo-mechanical & aerodynamic integrity
▪ Technical objectives of the ESA programme

15. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
REL Engine Technologies
15
Pre-cooler heat
transfer augmentation
2009
Micro-channel high
pressure Hx
2010
Silicon carbide
high temperature Hx
2002
Air intake
2012
STILETTO staged
combustion
2011
Contra-rotating
turbine
2008
Advanced nozzles
laboratory tests
2006
STERN E/D nozzle
2008
STRICT E/D nozzle
2010
Bell nozzle
separation
2010
Air/hydrogen
cooling
2010
LOX cooling
2010
STRIDENT nozzle
2012
Laboratory scale
1GW/m3 HX
1996
Wind tunnel Hx module
2002
First full scale
pre-cooler module
2005
Pre-cooler frost control
2004
Complete pre-cooler
2012
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16. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
REL Vehicle Technologies
16
Re-entry
aerodynamics
CFRP truss
structure
Ascent trajectory
modelling
Mach 12 hypersonic
shock tunnel
Avionics
Aeroshell
TiSic truss structure
Subsonic wind
tunnel
Mach 9 hypersonic
wind tunnel
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17. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON/SABRE Programme
17
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18. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
SKYLON System Review
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UK Space Agency independent review
Sep 2010
• ESA providing technical support
• Almost 100 invitees attended two
day workshop
• Part of wider review including on site
audit by ESA
Review Conclusions
‘no impediments or critical items have been identified for either the SKYLON
vehicle or the SABRE engine that are a block to further developments’.
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19. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
Phase 3 SABRE Development
19
SABRE
Phase 3
SKYLON
£10bn Programme
£6bn
£3.64bn
£0.36bn
• Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
October
2023
3 ½ Years
9 ½ Years
October
2017
April
2014
January
2014
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20. R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D
UK Government Grant
20
In July 2013 the UK government awarded REL £60M to develop the SABRE Engine
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21. Thank you
R E A C T I O N E N G I N E S L T D 10th Appleton Space Conference 21