Virgin Hyperloop

2020: The first testing of the vacuum train with people

On November 8, 2020 the Virgin company carried out the first tests of the superfast Hyperloop capsule with people onboard. Testing took place in a 500-meter tube located on a polygon in Nevada near Las Vegas.

In transport there were a cofounder and technical project director Josh Gigel and also the head of department of transportations Sara Luchian. During tests air from a pipe was almost completely extorted, having created a vacuum. The capsule with passengers accelerated up to 160 km/h (it is supposed that in the future it will be able to gather speed more than 1200 km/h), it accomodates up to 28 people.

Virgin for the first time tested the vacuum train Hyperloop from a passazhiramin to a board

According to Luchian, the trip resembled smooth and "not a roller coaster at all" though acceleration happened "much quicker", than at usual acceleration on longer route. She added that the first trip was "inspiring both psychologically, and physically".

We successfully showed that Virgin Hyperloop not only can safely place the person in the capsule in the conditions of a vacuum, but also showed that the company has a thought-over approach to security which was confirmed with the independent third party — the CEO of the company Jay Uolder said.

Virgin Hyperloop emphasized that this system was tested about 400 times. According to Jay Uolder, it represents the working hyper loop which will provide movement of the capsule in a vacuum.

Virgin Hyperloop noted that the purpose of the test was to show: Hyperloop trip "is also safe, as well as a trip on the elevator".

Earlier Elon Musk laid out calculations for creation of Hyperloop in 2012. He suggested to create the transport system from steel pipes in which the hermetic capsule could move on an aerodynamic pillow. Such train could reach from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes, having overcome 600 km.^[1]

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