- General
- November 9, 2020
- 5 minutes read
Virgin Hyperloop Runs First Human Test
Photo credit: Virgin Hyperloop Virgin Hyperloop, the futuristic transport company, has for the first time tested its hyperloop transport pods…
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| Photo credit: Virgin Hyperloop |
Virgin Hyperloop, the futuristic transport company, has for the first time tested its hyperloop transport pods with a human inside in a desert in the state of Nevada. The pods were manned by Virgin Hyperloop’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Josh Giegel along with Sara Luchian, another executive of the company. The test took place at a 500-meter test site built by Virgin Hyperloop in the city of Las Vegas, a site where it’s previously run over 400 tests without a human.
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| Photo credit: Virgin Hyperloop |
Virgin’s human tests were made on its XP-2 pod which is still a 2-seater for test purposes but is the forerunner to a bigger design that’s meant to seat up to 28 passengers. The successful human test marks a big milestone for Virgin Hyperloop as it looks to brings its futuristic transport concept to reality. The company recently announced plans to build a $500 million structure where it’ll develop, test, and validate an operational high-speed transport system in the state of West Virginia.
Virgin Hyperloop’s successful human test demonstrates the feasibility of the company’s much more ambitious mass high-speed transport system.
The Hyperloop system is a proposed passenger and freight transport system consisting of a sealed tube or system of tubes with low air pressure through which a manned pod may travel substantially free of air resistance or friction. It was put into concept by personnel from electric carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX and has now seen other companies build major work upon its concept. Of all such companies, Virgin Hyperloop is the most popular and well-funded, with plans to have a working system by 2030.
Virgin Hyperloop’s successful human test now provides a pathway for regulation and deployment in the US and makes the company eligible for federal funding for its projects.
