The engine is for the Skylon project, an ambitious scheme for a craft that would realise a long-cherished dream: to fly non-stop from airport to cosmos.
The Lib Dems have faced an onslaught of voter anger over the past year, over the U-turn on tuition fees and support for spending cuts - and saw a long-cherished dream of changing the UK voting system dashed, when the AV referendum resulted in a resounding "no" from the electorate.