Engineering giant Rolls-Royce has said it will be calling upon all of its global expertise to develop power for a new supersonic jet for Virgin Galactic.
Earlier this week, Sir Richard Branson’s company announced it had signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in the design and development of engine propulsion technology for the new aircraft.
The partnership with Rolls-Royce, which built engines for Concorde, the only civil-certified supersonic aircraft, comes after the Virgin Galactic programme cleared a mission concept review that included representatives from Nasa.
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The aim is for the new aircraft to be able to travel three times the speed of sound.
Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division is based in Derby, where it makes jet engines for commercial aircraft. It also has a base in Bristol, where earlier this year it opened a facility to develop jet engine technologies.
Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Virgin Galactic, the company said that its work on the project will be based in the US.
However, the company added that it would be calling on expertise from across its global business, which means there is a possibility that some of its experts in Derby and Bristol could have an input if called upon.
In a statement, Rolls-Royce said: “Our work to support the Virgin Galactic agreement will be based out of the US.
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“However, we will leverage our best capabilities from around the world to successfully deliver this advanced supersonic propulsion system in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.”
The initial aircraft design includes a delta-wing plane that can carry between nine and 19 passengers at an altitude above 60,000 ft and reach Mach 3, or three times the speed of sound.
The aircraft is expected to take off and land like any other passenger plane at existing airports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now working with Virgin Galactic to outline a certification framework.
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George Whitesides, chief space officer at Virgin Galactic, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start.
“We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high-speed travel.”
Tom Bell, chairman and chief executive of Rolls-Royce North America, said: “Rolls-Royce brings a unique history in high speed propulsion ,going back to the Concorde, and offers world-class technical capabilities to develop and field the advanced propulsion systems needed to power commercially available high-Mach travel.”