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On November 8, 2020, the first passengers travelled safely on a hyperloop – making history as they rode the only new form of transportation in over a century.
Historic milestone for human transport as Hyperloop carries first passengers
On Sunday 8 November, 2020, transportation history was made in the Nevada desert, when Virgin Hyperloop tested human travel in a hyperloop pod for the first time. Josh Giegel, Hyperloop’s Chief Technical Officer and Co-Founder, along with Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, rode the first new form of transportation in over a century.
“For the past few years, the Virgin Hyperloop team has been working on turning its ground breaking technology into reality,” said Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group. “With today’s successful test, we have shown that this spirit of innovation will in fact change the way people everywhere live, work, and travel in the years to come.”
Scroll down for video of the historic voyage and an explanation of how the technology works.
Josh Giegel, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, and Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, were the first people in the world to ride on this new form of transportation.Source: VirginHyperloop The test took place at Virgin Hyperloop’s 500 meter DevLoop test site in Las Vegas, where the company has previously run over 400 un-occupied tests.Source: VirginHyperloop “When we started in a garage over 6 years ago, the goal was simple – to transform the way people move,” said Josh Giegel, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Virgin Hyperloop. “Today, we took one giant leap toward that ultimate dream, not only for me, but for all of us who are looking towards a moonshot right here on Earth.” Source: VirginHyperloop The occupants made their maiden voyage on the newly-unveiled XP-2 vehicle, designed by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and Kilo Design, which was custom-built with occupant safety and comfort in mind.Source: VirginHyperloop While the production vehicle will be larger and seat up to 28 passengers, this 2-seater XP-2 vehicle was built to demonstrate that passengers can in fact safely travel in a hyperloop vehicle.Source: VirginHyperloop “Hyperloop is about so much more than the technology. It’s about what it enables,” said Sara Luchian (left), Director of Passenger Experience for Virgin Hyperloop. “To me, the passenger experience ties it all together. And what better way to design the future than to actually experience it first-hand?” Source: VirginHyperloop Virgin Hyperloop are building for fast, effortless journeys that expand possibilities. Their system can propel passenger or cargo pods at speeds of over 1000 km/h. That is 3x faster than high-speed rail and more than 10x faster than traditional rail. Source: VirginHyperloop The system utilises a vacuum and magnetic levitation Virgin Hyperloop have created a near-vacuum environment, reducing the air pressure down to the equivalent of 200,000 ft above sea level. The near vacuum lowers aerodynamic drag significantly, allowing for higher speeds to be achieved while using minimal energy. The vehicle glides using no-contact electromagnetic levitation. The system is highly efficient at producing magnetic flux, increasing electromagnetic force and lowering energy consumption by an order of magnitude compared to existing systems. Source: VirginHyperloop Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop, watched this historic passenger testing first-hand. “I had the true pleasure of seeing history made before my very eyes – to witness the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years come to life,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and Group Chairman and CEO of DP World. “I have always had tremendous faith in the team at Virgin Hyperloop to transform this technology into a safe system, and today we have done that. We are one step closer to ushering in a new era of ultra-fast, sustainable movement of people and goods.” Source: VirginHyperloop The testing campaign, from the beginning stages all the way through to Sunday’s successful demonstration, was overseen by the industry-recognised Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) Certifer.Source: VirginHyperloop Safety & Comfort. The Virgin Hyperloop delivers airline speeds, the same G-forces as rail, and the ease of riding a metro. A central command & control ensures safe and reliable passage throughout the network. Source: VirginHyperloop Having undergone a rigorous and exhaustive safety process, the XP-2 vehicle demonstrates many of the safety-critical systems that will be found on a commercial hyperloop system. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art control system that can detect off-nominal states and rapidly trigger appropriate emergency responses. Source: VirginHyperloop
First Hyperloop Passenger Test The first-ever hyperloop passenger test. Electric propulsion, magnetic levitation, vacuum environment. Tube air pressure: 100 Pa (equivalent to air pressure at 200,000 ft). Speed: 107 MPH (172 KPH) on just 500 meters of track Source: YouTube/VirginHyperloop
Ok, so we know nobody is going anywhere any time soon, but that’s not to stop you planning your next trip. Including our usual sustainable habits like turning the lights off, not wasting food, avoiding creating trash, there’s a ton you can do to reduce your impact and do good whilst on tour. Here’s a list of eco-friendly travel hacks from SustainableJungle that we can all use to be more sustainable travellers.
