Skylon project ends in bankruptcy

The British company Reaction Engines Limited, which aimed to develop a space plane called Skylon in the 1990s, went bankrupt in late October 2024 due to a lack of new investors, despite years of research and partnerships with organizations like BAE Systems and the European Space Agency (ESA).

ESA reuses Skylon’s engine technology

The ESA retained key elements of the Skylon project, particularly a crucial component of its hybrid engine: a heat exchanger that rapidly cools the air drawn into the engine. This technology was later used in the Invictus project, an experimental hypersonic aircraft intended to fly at five times the speed of sound and land on a conventional runway.

Invictus passes first major review

On October 23, 2026, Stephan Carroll, chief engineer of Invictus at Frazer-Nash, announced that the aircraft had passed its first system requirements review (SRR-1) in March 2026. This marked the first validation of the aircraft's design specifications, confirming its potential to meet goals in speed, aerodynamics, and propulsion.

Next steps depend on ESA and UKSA alignment

Frazer-Nash delayed announcing the SRR-1 result for seven months to coordinate the next phase of the project with the ESA and the British Space Agency (UKSA). The project is now on a stable path, pending the next review (SRR-2) in October 2027, according to the European Spaceflight website.

ESA funds design work for Invictus

In July 2025, the ESA signed a 7 million euro contract with Frazer-Nash to begin designing the aircraft. While Invictus reuses some of the earlier work on Skylon, significant challenges remain before a fully functional reusable hypersonic aircraft can be built.

First flight may be delayed

Frazer-Nash originally aimed for a first flight in early 2031, but David Perigo, technical manager of Invictus at the ESA, mentioned in June 2026 that integrated propulsion tests are expected around 2032. This suggests the first flight may be delayed by at least one year.

Invictus aims for hypersonic speeds

The aircraft is designed to reach Mach 5, or about 6,000 km/h, which is 2.5 times faster than the Concorde. It will operate in the upper atmosphere, using hydrogen as fuel, which is considered less polluting than traditional kerosene.

ESA sees Invictus as a testbed for future space planes

The ESA views Invictus as a testbed for future space planes that can take off from runways and reach orbit like rockets. Sarah Wilkes, CEO of Frazer-Nash, also notes potential military applications, though no passenger flights at Mach 5 are planned at this stage.

Global competition in hypersonic technology

Other countries are also advancing in hypersonic technology. NASA has been testing its X-59 silent supersonic aircraft since October 2025, while China is making progress on its reusable space plane. In Europe, Dassault Aviation is developing the Vortex space plane, which is designed to return from orbit at hypersonic speeds and land like a commercial airplane.