Britain often produces ground breaking designs, but they fail or go abroad because the funding can not be found. Skylon is one of these projects but it has been more a less shot down by the British Governments refusal to fund the program. Skylon is a Single Stage To Orbit Aircraft and would slash the cost of putting satalites in space. The Skylon project is or was ahead of the American X-33 Single Stage To Orbit Craft. Skylon promised to be a world beater.

I found out about Skylon when searching the net. Here are some useful links
http://www.aemann.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spacecraft/skylon/index.html - information, images and links
http://www.gbnet.net/orgs/skylon/ - reaction engines limited, the main page for Skylon

This petition call apon British Business and/or The British Government to fund the Skylon Project.