Press Release: State aid: Commission approves £50 million UK support for the research and development of an innovative space launcher engine

On 14 August 2015, the European Commission found that a £50 million (around €71 million) grant that the UK authorities intended to provide for designing a SABRE space launcher engine was in line with EU state aid rules. The UK notified plans in January 2015 to support the SABRE project.

SABRE is a research and development (R&D) project carried out by UK company Reaction Engines Limited (REL). It aims to develop an engine that would power a reusable airframe to launch satellites into low Earth orbit, significantly reducing the costs of such space missions. The European Commission found that the measure fosters aerospace R&D in Europe while limiting distortions of competition in the Single Market.