Hard to believe, isn't it? But, in the coming years, you really could be flying from Britain to Australia in four hours! It is all thanks to a British aerospace company that have developed a new cooling system for jet engines.
Reaction Engines are based in Oxfordshire, England, and they claim that their new cooling system is "the biggest breakthrough in propulsion technology since the jet engine". Their new technology can cool air entering a jet engine from a scorching 1000C to -150C in 100th of a second. With the threat of overheating removed, the engine is able to propel an aircraft to speeds of 2000 mph. It would be possible, therefore, to propel an aircraft into space without the need for disposable rockets to provide the immense thrust needed.
There was one last obstacle facing scientists before their breakthrough technology could truly be considered a viable option: how do you prevent ice building up in the engine? A cooling method was formed which removes the threat of moisture in the air freezing on the engine and, following demonstrations, the new engine has received formal approval from the European Space Agency.
The ambition is to create an 84m long aircraft named Skylon, which would take off from a runway and function like a normal jet engine whilst at low altitude as it takes in oxygen from the air. However, Skylon would be capable of switching to "rocket mode" and burning its own fuel supply once it reached high speeds. Researchers claim that having a more efficient, reusable engine would dramatically reduce the cost of space flight. As well as transport passengers from Britain to Australia in super-quick time!
Dr Mark Ford, of the European Space Agency, who monitored the engine's testing commented: "The gateway is now open to move beyond the jet age." Reaction Engines hope their engine will be operational in the next 10 years.
So Britain, how do you fancy fancy a weekend away in Sydney?
Image sourced from: Reaction Engines