The American transportation technology company “Virgin Hyperloop” has taken a huge step that brings the realization of a new form of transportation closer, as the first people successfully traveled in a hyperloop pod.
The company’s co-founder, Josh Giegel, and its head of passenger experience, Sara Luchian, participated in the first test. Giegel, as the project leader, participated in the test to show how confident he felt about the project, while Lucian was one of 40 employees who volunteered to test the project. The company emphasized that both participants received the necessary trainingto ensure they were healthy and prepared for the trip.
Virgin Hyperloop representatives said a strong emphasis was placed on safety, given the level of attention the journey was likely to elicit. The two walked inside the hyperloop pod and were shown the various exit points and procedures to ensure that, in the event of a failure, they could get out. Hyperloop noted that the two passengers would be in communication with the company's control office throughout the test.
Hyperloop envisions pods carrying passengers and cargo moving rapidly through vacuum tunnels at speeds of 600 mph (966 km/h) or faster. With such a system, which is magnetically levitated to travel almost silently, a trip between New York and Washington would take about 30 minutes. The company has conducted more than 400 tests without passengers at the site in Nevada.
The test came a month after Reuters reported that Virgin Hyperloop had chosen West Virginia to build a $500 million certification center and test track to test its technology. The company is aiming for certification by 2025 and commercial operations by 2030.
As the BBC reports, the two passengers covered a distance of 500 meters in 15 seconds - a speed that, while certainly high, is only a fraction of the intended speeds.
The two passengers traveled in a brand new, second- generation, called the XP-2, the Pegasus Pod. The XP-2 was designed in such a way that it allows two passengers to sit comfortably inside it. The passenger seats have huge five-point harnesses, just like in race cars.
A company spokesperson said proving the pod is safe for humans is a major milestone in its journey. It may also encourage more investors and regulators to come on board to help fund the next stage of its development.
