For over a year fans of Elon Musk and his wildly successful ventures have eagerly awaited the announcement of his newest brainchild, the Hyperloop. Well, this afternoon Musk finally described his idea in a blog post at Tesla.
According to Musk the “Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both low and high speeds throughout the length of the tube. The capsules are supported on a cushion of air, featuring pressurized air and aerodynamic lift. The capsules are accelerated via a magnetic linear accelerator affixed at various stations on the low pressure tube with rotors contained in each capsule. Passengers may enter and exit Hyperloop at stations located either at the ends of the tube, or branches along the tube length.
In an extensive and thorough brief, Musk not only details plans for the Hyperloop project but also the motivations behind its invention. “When the California “high speed” rail was approved, I was quite disappointed... If we are to make a massive investment in a new transportation system, then the return should by rights be equally massive. Compared to the alternatives, it should ideally be:
• Safer
• Faster
• Lower cost
• More convenient
• Immune to weather
• Sustainably self-powering
• Resistant to Earthquakes
• Not disruptive to those along the route
According to Musk’s proposal the first section of the Hyperloop would travel from LA to San Francisco in approximately a half an hour. Additionally, Hyperloop capsules would depart each station every 30 seconds, each carrying 28 passengers apiece.
Although Musk has no intention of building the Hyperloop, in a statement to Gizmodo the billionaire inventor did say, “If nothing happens [with the Hyperloop concept] for a few years... it could make sense to make the halfway path with Tesla involvement". Until then Musk has opened up his Hyperloop idea to anyone willing to take on this monumental project.
Anyone game for a new Apollo Project?
Image Courtesy of Tesla