Skylon

The British Government has not traditionally been heavily involved in large space projects, although the space community there is currently arguing Britain should develop its own manned spaceflight capability. Her Majesty's Government has, however, just invested in a project that could revolutionize access to low Earth orbit.

Skylon is an attempt to build a single-stage spaceplane that would take off from a runway, reach orbit, and land on the same runway. The key technology in the effort will be a hybrid engine that operates as an air-breathing jet in the atmosphere and a rocket once it reaches space.

Such a craft is still years away, but enough progress has been made by the private company pursuing the program that the British Government has invested just over $1 million in it. Not a huge amount as these things go, but if the program succeeds, Britania may not rule the waves again, but it cou;d lead humanity and commerce into low Earth orbit and beyond.