New Transportation tech: The hyperloop

A capsule that can take you from New York to L.A. in 45 minutes. How much does this technology cost to build? About 75% LESS than it cost to build a road from NY to LA.

Imagine there being nowhere in the world you couldnt get to in less 3 hours.

Being so cheap to build and so fast to use, I think we are definitely going to see this our lifetime, boys.

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they been talking about it for years. if US spend more on R&D and none on ridiculous wars(such as in iraq)-the car would fly long time ago

 

I read recently that the tubes would be very expensive. Not cheap. But I can't remember where I read it.

 

Agreed, I'm sure the tubes are a lot, but I think the project in general is supposed to be cost effective compared to some alternatives. For example, cost would be ~6B compared to ~60B for a train system California is currently evaluating.

 

I would love to see it happen.

 

The idea of this form of transportation is about 100 years old.

"The modern concept of a vactrain, with evacuated tubes and maglev technology, was explored in the 1910s by American engineer Robert Goddard, who designed detailed prototypes with a university student. His train would have traveled from Boston to New York in 12 minutes, averaging 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h). The train designs were found only after Goddard's death in 1945 and his wife filed for the patents."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vactrain

 

Robert Goddard was da man, i.e., Goddard Space Flight Center.

 

If the tube is evacuated there will be no air resistance but no way to suspend the capsule without friction, the friction on the tube side will be manageable, but on the capsule side unmanageable, and the passenger incinerated. If magnetic or electric field suspension is employed the construction and operating costs will escalate. Do not invest and do not volunteer to be the first to ride.

Unless you can get rid of gravity, cost is an exponential function of speed. That's why we don't have thousand mile per hour trains, and why the Concorde could not make money at $10,000 per seat, one-way. And why we should not throw money away on the Lockheed F35.