Courtesy of Reaction Engines
It can soar at 6.437 kmh (4,000 mph)?or five times the speed of sound
For most New Yorkers, getting to the Hamptons in less than three hours is a commendable feat, but what if you could get all the way to London in just a third of the time" The UK Space Agency recently revealed plans for a high-tech ?space plane? that is capable of jetting across the pond at lightning speed?and it could be in the skies as soon as 2030.
On Tuesday, the CEO of the UK Space Agency Graham Turnock announced the UK would be working more closely with Australia in a ?world-first Space Bridge? agreement which will focus on delivering a plane?or rocket, really?to shuttle passengers from continent-to-continent in just four hours. While flights from London to the Big Apple will reportedly take a skerrick over 60 minutes.It?s all courtesy of a new hypersonic engine SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine)?which the scientists at Reaction Engines are currently developing. Fueled by a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, SABRE is capable of powering a plane to Mach 5.4 (6.437 kmh - 4,000 mph) for speedy commercial travel?that?s around five times the speed of sound?or Mach 25 (30.577 kmh - 19,000 mph) when soaring in space. It?s supposedly greener and cheaper than current air travel, too.SABRE Hypersonic Space Plane Courtesy of Reaction Engines

One of the challenges of hypersonic flight is ensuring the engine can withstand the heat?traveling that quickly can cau...