A UK-led aerospace consortium has unveiled a bold new programme to develop a Mach 5-capable reusable aircraft, targeting its first flight by early 2031.
Known as INVICTUS, the €7 million initiative is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and aims to lay the groundwork for horizontal space launch using air-breathing hypersonic propulsion.
Announced ahead of the UK Space Conference, the INVICTUS programme is led by Frazer-Nash and brings together major industrial and academic players including Spirit AeroSystems and Cranfield University, alongside a number of SMEs.
Over the next 12 months, the team will complete a concept and partial preliminary design for the full flight system, including requirements, analysis, and development planning.
Central to the project is the use of precooled hydrogen-fuelled propulsion, a technology long championed by Reaction Engines Ltd (REL). That firm’s proprietary precooler system allows incoming hypersonic airflow to be cooled before entering the engine, enabling sustained operation at extreme speeds far beyond the limit of conventional jet engines.
Although Reaction Engines ceased operations in 2024 after failing to secure a financial lifeline, their legacy lives on. Frazer-Nash has absorbed a team of REL experts into its ranks, retaining vital knowledge from a decade of propulsion R&D and experimental testing.
The collapse of REL dealt a major blow to the UK’s Hypersonic Air Vehicle Experimental (HVX) programme, where it played a central role. Its work on the Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) and precooler technology was key to the UK’s ambitions for reusable hypersonic systems.
Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, is significantly faster than the SR-71 Blackbird or Concorde. Previous REL tests validated precooler integration with jet engine systems under such conditions, marking a critical proof-of-concept.
“Hypersonic flight is not just the next frontier of aerospace, it is the gateway to a new paradigm of mobility, defence, and space access,” said Dr Tommaso Ghidini, Head of the Mechanical Department at ESA. “With INVICTUS, Europe is seizing the opportunity to lead in technologies that will redefine how we move across the planet and reach beyond it. By mastering reusable, air-breathing propulsion, we are laying the foundation for aircraft that take off like planes and reach orbit like rockets, revolutionising both terrestrial and orbital transportation.”
Frazer-Nash Managing Director Sarah Wilkes said: “INVICTUS is an exciting opportunity to provide advanced technology for space and advance capabilities in defence. With strong industry support and deep engineering and aerospace expertise, including Frazer-Nash colleagues with a decade of propulsion experience, we have all the right ingredients to make this ambitious vision a reality.”
Tony Forsythe, Head of Space Technology at the UK Space Agency, added: “This exciting project, made possible by our investments in the European Space Agency, has significant potential to build on advanced cooling and hypersonic propulsion technology developed by UK engineers over many years. We look forward to seeing how the work develops and the opportunity it presents for boosting economic growth and national security.”
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