Boeing HorizonX invests in British company Reaction Engines

Boeing's HorizonX Ventures has invested in Reaction Engines, a manufacturer of advanced propulsion systems based in the United Kingdom.

Reaction Engines is known for its Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE), a hybrid engine blending jet and rocket technology that is capable of Mach 5 in air-breathing mode and Mach 25 in rocket mode for space flight, according to a Boeing statement issued this week. As part of the SABRE program, Reaction Engines developed an ultra-lightweight heat exchanger that stops engine components from overheating at high speeds, thus improving access to hypersonic flight and space.

HorizonX's investment in Reaction Engines is its second in a company outside of the United States and its 11th since being launched in April 2017.

"As Reaction Engines unlocks advanced propulsion that could change the future of air and space travel, we expect to leverage their revolutionary technology to support Boeing's pursuit of hypersonic flight," Steve Nordlund, vice president of Boeing HorizonX, said in the April 11 statement.

HorizonX participated in the $37.3 million Series B funding round alongside Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems, according to the statement.