Virgin Hyperloop tested Hyperloop capsule with passengers (4 photos + video)

Company of Richard Branson, founder of VirginGroup, successfully competes with SpaceX not only in space, but also on Earth. The idea of ​​underground high-speed transport in capsules through vacuum tunnels, proposed and promoted by Elon Musk, was first tested on living people by Virgin Hyperloop in the Nevada desert near Las Vegas. According to Branson, the successful test demonstrated the potential for innovative ideas to revolutionize people's lives in the coming years.

First test drive in the DevLoop tunnel,500 meters long was held on November 8, and the first passengers of the XP-2 capsule were Josh Gigel, co-founder and CTO of Virgin Hyperloop, and Sara Lucian, director of passenger service quality. The XP-2 capsule is designed for only two passengers, while in the real version the capsule will accommodate up to 28 people. The capsule was developed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and Kilo Design, according to an individual order, taking into account the safety and comfort of passengers.

The experimental capsule moved at a speed of 173 km / h. The working design speed of Hyperloop trains moving in vacuum on a magnetic levitation will be up to 1223 km / h or 760 mph.

Idea proposed by Elon Musk in 2012Hyperloop is starting to take shape. Currently, three companies (SpaceX, Virgin Hyperloop and HyperloopTT) have created test sites for testing a fundamentally new vehicle. This summer, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) began work to establish a clear regulatory framework for Hyperloop in the United States, which will open the door to private and public funding for projects.