UK Skylon spaceplane passes key review
The United Kingdom’s Skylon spaceplane has passed a key European Space Agency review.
I’ve seen hundreds of these kinds of stories over the years. Skylon looks cool, and would be revolutionary if built. We shall see if it actually happens.
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The United Kingdom’s Skylon spaceplane has passed a key European Space Agency review.
I’ve seen hundreds of these kinds of stories over the years. Skylon looks cool, and would be revolutionary if built. We shall see if it actually happens.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Given the British history in the mechanical arts, it must be very frustrating for them to have to basically sit out the Space Age. The engine design looks interesting, but there’s a world of difference between a lab bench and flight hardware. They’ll also have to find a way to prevent re-entry gases from entering the engine nacelles.
I’ld agree that SkyLon has been aronud a long time, and always getting aproval but no money.
I found his mention of “private investors” significant. And I have heard that with the US exiting the space age – Britain see’s now as a great time to leep frog everonge and possition itself as the world leader in space travel, and by implication aerospace.
Guess we’ll see, but at worst their space agency and investors just looking at this puts them way ahead of anything the US gov or commercials are doing in space.
I’m not that in love with the skylon design, I think the DOD’s Blackswift, or the EELV replacement RLV’s under study look more promising – but with NASA looking likely to eiather be flying Soyuz or Orion until the 2020s – were obviously not a competitor anymore now.
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Blair Ivey says:
>=== They’ll also have to find a way to prevent re-entry gases from entering the engine nacelles.
Actually not. The Skylons low wing loading should keep the exause gases pretty cool. Assent would generate more heat. Eiather way the engines, especially with a little flow through the precoolers, should have no issues.