Watch: Hyperloop hits 400 mph in 2 seconds flat https://t.co/rB7uJHpDvr pic.twitter.com/Urq5qGiiME
— The Next Web (@TheNextWeb) May 11, 2016
In addition to trying to get humans to Mars as fast as possible, Elon Musk has also been making waves in the world of super-fast travel here on Earth, too. Back in 2013, Musk posited that magnetic levitation technology could be used to make a high-speed train with the capacity to travel even faster than an airplane. Today, the world got a glimpse of what this technology looks like in action, thanks to the efforts of Hyperloop One.
Elon Musk isn’t directly involved in building high-speed Hyperloop transportation, by the way; he’s too busy with his space exploration efforts. Still, he’s been kept in the loop (sorry) about this technology, since it was his idea and all. The technology is also open-source, and Hyperloop One is just one of the competing companies testing out its potential.
In a desert outside of Las Vegas, Hyperloop One showed the world their very first blink-and-you’ll-miss-it test drive. If the reams of video popping up all over social media are any indication, it was a success. I mean, really, it’s too fast to tell. Was there even a train there at all? (I’m kidding. But seriously, watch for yourself! It’s super speedy.)
According to BGR, the test “sled” reached 300 miles per hour. The rate of acceleration (2.5Gs) is the really impressive part; that rate is the equivalent of a car going from zero to 60mph in about one second. This track in the desert was created just for testing purposes, and it’s not the final design; the Hyperloop One team plans to cover the train to reduce wind resistance.
For now, the test sled goes slower because it’s exposed to wind and desert elements. However, since it’s exposed, it’s more possible for onlookers to see how fast it can go … and imagine how much faster it might go if it were enclosed in a travel tube. To get specific, the final version is planned to reach 700 mph. So, way faster, then.
Imagine what it would be like to ride a train going that fast! And to think, Victorians were afraid of traveling on trains that could only go 15mph. Today, people are still … kind of worried about traveling via Hyperloop. It’ll be fiiiiine. Probably. Maybe.
(via NPR, image via Hyperloop One)
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Published: May 11, 2016 04:31 pm