Reaction Engines Limited

Reaction Engines Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer headquartered at the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, England, that carried out research, consultancy and precision engineering for reusable space access and hypersonic flight. It was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond, Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott after government funding for an earlier HOTOL spaceplane project was withdrawn in 1988. Reaction Engines centered its work on the Skylon reusable spaceplane and its accompanying SABRE engine, a synergetic air-breathing rocket engine intended to allow single-stage-to-orbit flight, and it drew major investment over the years including 20.6 million pounds from BAE Systems in 2015, 37.3 million dollars from Boeing in 2018, 20 million pounds from Rolls-Royce in 2020 and 40 million pounds from the UAE Strategic Development Fund in 2023. Despite this backing, Reaction Engines entered administration on 31 October 2024 and ceased operations after failing to secure further fundraising.