From the wiki, "...the costs for accessing space with a launch loop could be as low as $3/kg..."
Holy. Shit.
Cost to start? 10B. So let's triple it and say $30B. Reducing cost-to-orbit-per-kg to a few bucks? Priceless. It would change space travel as we know it.
For the first time, I've seen something that doesn't require magic dust or pixies -- at least in the overview stage. Don't know about the details.
If this is something along the lines of what he is thinking, and if the engineering works out, and if the funding can be secured for either the ground-based or space-based version, Musk will easily leap-frog Howard Hughes in the history books.
Of course, that's a lot of "if"s. But here's hoping.
If this really is the concept that Musk is working on, it would likely launch a vehicle into space to reach their earthly destination. This matches his idea that it would be "immune to weather" and also not a tube.
So if it works, it would be great both for space tourism AND high-speed travel around the world. Really ties together his transportation and space ventures :)
The hyperloop is not a space based system. The little that Musk has said about it, indicates that. For example, he said it would be a vast improvement over the current rail system planned for California, and could plausibly be powered by solar. Nobody is going to use space travel to go between LA and San Francisco.
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> Lastly he revealed he was working on something he calls the “Hyperloop” which will be a “cross between a rail-gun and a Concorde.”
Sounds a lot like the Lofstrom Loop, repurposed for Earthside transport.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_loop
From the wiki, "...the costs for accessing space with a launch loop could be as low as $3/kg..."
Holy. Shit.
Cost to start? 10B. So let's triple it and say $30B. Reducing cost-to-orbit-per-kg to a few bucks? Priceless. It would change space travel as we know it.
For the first time, I've seen something that doesn't require magic dust or pixies -- at least in the overview stage. Don't know about the details.
If this is something along the lines of what he is thinking, and if the engineering works out, and if the funding can be secured for either the ground-based or space-based version, Musk will easily leap-frog Howard Hughes in the history books.
Of course, that's a lot of "if"s. But here's hoping.
And I was thinking "maglev in tunnels along great circles" because anything that flies can crash.
If this really is the concept that Musk is working on, it would likely launch a vehicle into space to reach their earthly destination. This matches his idea that it would be "immune to weather" and also not a tube.
So if it works, it would be great both for space tourism AND high-speed travel around the world. Really ties together his transportation and space ventures :)
The hyperloop is not a space based system. The little that Musk has said about it, indicates that. For example, he said it would be a vast improvement over the current rail system planned for California, and could plausibly be powered by solar. Nobody is going to use space travel to go between LA and San Francisco.
Nobody is going to use space travel to go between LA and San Francisco.
I'm sure people once thought that no one was going to climb to 30,000 feet to go between LA and SF either.
Wow... I have no idea then -_-
>The mass budget for the track/ribbon system per meter is as follows: Temporary erection sheath 700 g/m [...]
Ah, yes, interesting. via http://launchloop.com/LaunchLoop?action=AttachFile&do=ge...