The UK is set to fund £60m for the development of a novel jet-rocket hybrid engine called SABRE, which stands for Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, designed by British firm Reaction Engines.
The announcement came at the 2013 UK Space Conference.
Alan Bond, founder of Oxfordshire-based aerospace firm, will receive the government’s funding to build the engine, which is capable of accelerating an aircraft to five times the speed of sound.
The company intends to use the technology to power an aircraft dubbed Skylon, which can fly into space or low-Earth orbit stratosphere in 15 minutes.
Skylon is currently in its early development phase and is being designed to takeoff from a runway before accelerating to speeds of 3,500mph (5,600km/h).
It could also takeoff and land similar to normal aircraft, as well as carry a 15t of cargo into low-Earth orbit.
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