---
title: "Amazing New Rocket Engine Sucks up Atmospheric Oxygen for Fuel"
description: "The European Space Agency just greenlit a UK aerospace manufacturer's tests of a novel air-breathing rocket engine that sucks up atmospheric oxygen."
date: "2019-04-19"
modified: "2019-04-19"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/air-breathing-rocket-reaction-engines"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "hypersonic flight"
  - "oxygen"
  - "rocket engine"
  - "the digest"
---

# Amazing New Rocket Engine Sucks up Atmospheric Oxygen for Fuel

![The European Space Agency just greenlit a UK aerospace manufacturer's tests of a novel air-breathing rocket engine that sucks up atmospheric oxygen.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/air-breathing-rocket-reaction-engines.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Reaction Engines/ESA\</em\>*

## Air-Breathing Rocket

U.K. aerospace manufacturer Reaction Engines is preparing a potentially revolutionary rocket engine for a real-world test within the next 18 months.

The Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) runs partially on oxygen collected from the atmosphere rather than relying on heavy fuel. That means serious weight savings, according to the European Space Agency — such that a payload could be delivered to orbit at "half the vehicle mass of current launchers."

## Big Savings

Futurism has [previously reported](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-rocket-engine-london-sydney>) on Reaction Engine's ambitious plans. Earlier this year, the company [told the *BBC*](<https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47585433>) its future hypersonic engines could be used to cut the journey from London to Sydney to [just four hours](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-rocket-engine-london-sydney>).

The European Space Agency first got involved in 2010, testing the viability of the novel design and to see if the engine could withstand hypersonic speed. This week, the space agency [gave the project the green light](<https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/ESA_greenlight_for_UK_s_air-breathing_rocket_engine>).

"The positive conclusion of our preliminary design review marks a major milestone in SABRE development,” Mark Ford, heading ESA’s Propulsion Engineering section, [said in a statement](<https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/ESA_greenlight_for_UK_s_air-breathing_rocket_engine>). "It confirms the test version of this revolutionary new class of engine is ready for implementation."

**READ MORE:** [Air-Breathing Rocket Engine Gets Green Light for Major Tests](<https://www.space.com/sabre-rocket-engine-cleared-major-tests.html>) \[*Space.com*\]

**More on Reaction Engines:** *[New Rocket Engine Could Whip You From London to Sydney in 4 Hours](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-rocket-engine-london-sydney>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)