Hyperloop One holds successful test of its futuristic propulsion system

(Image credit: Twitter.com/MayorOfLA)

published 12 May 2016

In less than a decade, it may be possible for a person to live in San Francisco, commute to work in Los Angeles, and go to lunch in Las Vegas, without having to hop on an airplane or sit in traffic in a car.

Hyperloop One is one of two companies striving to realize Elon Musk's dream of a super fast transportation system using tubes, magnets, and pods, and on Wednesday, Hyperloop One held its first open-air test of its propulsion system in the desert outside of Las Vegas. A metal sled was sent down a short track, going from 0 to 53 miles per hour in one second, CNET reports, and the successful launch was met with cheers.

Hyperloop One's hyperloop network would consist of several tubes that connect major cities to each other. Pods, which would carry cargo or 10 to 30 passengers, would go inside the tubes, depressurized to eliminate most air resistance. Magnets would help the pods reach speeds of up to 700 mph, although engineers say passenger-filled pods would accelerate at the same rate as a private jet, so people could eat, drink, and chat comfortably. The company wants to have the system up and running for cargo as early as 2019, and for passengers by 2021, and will hold a full-scale test at the end of the year. Watch the video below to get a better idea of how you might be traveling not too far down the road. Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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