The reality of hypersonic travel could come true by 2020 with rockets designed to travel FIVE times the speed of sound
New technologies will combine a jet and rocket to get travellers anywhere in the world in just four hours
A HYPERSONIC plane could be a reality in just four years, getting passengers anywhere in the world in just four hours.
The new plane, which will combine the technology of a jet and a rocket to travel five times the speed of sound, will even allow Brits to travel to Australia in four hours.
The Oxford-based Reaction Engines has worked with the ESA and the UK Space Agency, along with BAE Systems, to make the dream a reality by 2020.
The European Space Agency has invested USD$11 million towards developing the new engine while Reaction Engines has also secured $66 million in funding from the British government on top of $55 million from the UK Space Agency.
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The new design would allow the aircraft to propel into orbit.
Mark Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Reaction Engines Ltd said: "We’ve had valuable support from ESA and UKSA to date, and today’s agreement is a further vote of confidence not only in the revolutionary potential of this technology, but our ability to deliver on it.
"We are now entering an exciting phase where we can accelerate the pace of development to get Sabre up and running."
The MailOnline reported the investment, which will see a change from rockets carrying liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to allowing the new engine to create its own liquid oxygen.
The process would help lighten the rocket's load and allow it to travel six times faster than the blink of an eye.
The process would also be able to be used to launch satellites into space.
