The £60m UK government investment in the "revolutionary" Sabre rocket engine concept has finally started to flow. The company behind the power unit said at the Farnborough International Air Show that this would now enable it to push ahead with a new demonstrator. Sabre burns hydrogen like a rocket motor but in air drawn from the atmosphere, just like a jet. Reaction Engines Ltd foresees the technology being used to propel future space planes and hypersonic airliners. REL and the European Space Agency signed an £8m (€10m) contract, which will result in ESA keeping its role as the "technical auditor" on the project. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36773074
