Skylon finally finds backing from the British government!

[brooksy125]

http://www.sen.com/news/uk-pledges-fresh-support-for-revolutionary-space-engine.html

Good news, skyline or at least the sabre engine itself will be funded by the Government.

[Canopus]

Lets see if this happens. I do hope so.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Canopus

[Nibb31]

The article doesn't say that Skylon will be funded. It says the Chancellor of the Exchequer mentioned it in a report. It's nice that Reaction Engines gets some official recognition, but what they really need is money. In this budgetary environment, I would take any promises of funding with a pinch of salt until the numbers are actually lined up in the budget.

[tek_604]

Also, its worth to note that the actual announcement was that scientific funding from the UK government was to remain flat. BBC quote him on SABRE:

"Mr Osborne says he wants to invest in the next phase of the Sabre project."

Never gonna happen.

[Frogbull]

The public does not care about Space (especially in times of economic crisis), a politician can not finance such a project if he wants to be reelected, it's ugly but it's like that. Now, if a politician makes decisions at the beginning of its mandate, it can do a lot of things (even impopular).

Who knows...

[tek_604]

Now, if a politician makes decisions at the beginning of its mandate, it can do a lot of things (even impopular).

Who knows...

In principal, true. Though I'd like someone to mention a politician who ever did an unpopular thing, especially with regards investing in something.

What I can tell you is, the British government is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to invest in it. Why? Because it costs money. Doesn't matter which side of the house you come from, the British government will never publicly back this kind of project. Took an enourmous effort to get the government to back Concorde & the Chunnel, and then only because it looked like the French would do the projects themselves (and we just can't have that, can we?! lol)

So, in order for the British government to fund this, the most realistic way would be for the French to say they would fund it. Money would then be thrown at them post haste!

[Nibb31]

It really needs to be taken over by BAe or EADS. It's simply too large of a project for 4 blokes in a shed.

[Frogbull]

It's like the beginning of the jet engine (but we can draw a parallel with other technologies, the steam engine is the perfect example of investors stupidity), nobody wanted to invest it in the beginning, then when the technology proved its superiority, all manufacturers have made projects like sheeps...

EADS (and others) wants to be sure that the project will be viable in the short term before investing. They are not safe, so they do not invest.

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

[Themohawkninja]

They just got backing? I thought Skylon was being funded by the British government for some time now. Well, it's a good thing they are now!

I can't wait until the first sub-orbital test flights begin, even if it is at LEAST a decade away!

[Drunkrobot]

Reaction Engines was recieving money from both the british government and Europe, although that was more for the LAPCAT A2 and the Scimitar engine than for Skylon and Sabre. If this comment from the chanceller translates into more hard cash for our little phoenix, then I'm the happiest man alive.

[Frogbull]

If some do not know the principle of Skylon, here's a video that sums up very well the thing.

[tek_604]

They just got backing? I thought Skylon was being funded by the British government for some time now. Well, it's a good thing they are now!

I can't wait until the first sub-orbital test flights begin, even if it is at LEAST a decade away!

Nope, and nope. The funding they got I believe was from Brunel University (feel free to correct me on that), and then they received some funding from ESA.

Like I posted previously, the Chancellor said he "wants to invest" and that science funding in the UK remains flat for this years budget. So, in order for the British government to fund it, they'd have to find money from somewhere, or raise the science budget, both of which are highly unlikely.

[ShachonianX]

If some do not know the principle of Skylon, here's a video that sums up very well the thing.

Orbital BASE STATION? I knew this was an SSTO, but it has its own ORBITAL REFUELING BASE?

[metaphor]

Maybe there will be more interest in space when astronaut Tim Peake goes to the ISS in 2015. That might translate into more funding for space in the UK.