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Futuristic transportation startup Hyperloop One had its 'Kitty Hawk moment' — here's where you could first see it
Hyperloop One successfully tested its hyperloop technology on Thursday.
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The startup privately conducted the test on its DevLoop track in Nevada, marking the first successful completion of a full-scale Hyperloop system in a vaccum environment. The vehicle coasted above the track for 5.3 seconds using magnetic levitation and reached a top speed of 70 mph.
The startup has referred to the test as its "Kitty Hawk moment."
There's still a long way to go before the Hyperloop system, which Elon Musk outlined in a White Paper in 2013, can become a reality. Hyperloop One will now look to reach 250 mph in subsequent testing.
But Hyperloop One has big ambitions for the new form of transit.
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The startup currently has feasibility studies under way in Dubai and Finland. And Earlier this year, Hyperloop One launched a global challenge to crowdsource route proposals for a Hyperloop system in the US.
After receiving over 2,600 submissions, the startup selected 11 finalists. Hyperloop One says it will ultimately select two or three routes to study further. Scroll down for a look at all the routes under consideration:
Led by Holly McNamara, selectman of the town of Somerset, the team proposes using a Hyperloop to connect Boston and Providence with stops at Somerset and Fall River. The Hyperloop would run for 64 miles.
The goal is to build an elevated system that shares highways and rail right-of-ways with connections to the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak's most popular rail line that runs between Washington D.C. and Boston.
The team is led by John Whitcomb, a member of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society. It proposed a long, 1,152-mile route between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Houston, Texas with stops in Denver, Dallas, and Forth Worth.
The team is composed of Missouri's Department of Transportation and is led by Thomas Blair, the department's assistant district engineer, highlighting some state support for the project. The 240-mile route between Kansas and St. Louis would stop in Columbia.
The team is led by Alice Bravo, director of transportation development in Miami, highlighting similar state support to Team Missouri. The 257-mile system would transport passengers and cargo and run parallel to Highway 27 and I-4.
The team is comprised of architects, designers, and faculty members from Woodbury University and San Diego State University. The 121-mile system would transport cargo and passengers and make no stops in-between.
The team is led by Steve Hill, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and includes support from the state's Department of Transportation. The 454-mile system would carry freight and passengers and run along I-11.
The 488-mile system would carry passengers and cargo between Pittsburgh and Chicago with a stop in Columbus. The team is led by Thea Walsh, director of transportation systems and funding for mid-Ohio regional planning.
The team is led by University of Washington students and proposes first carrying cargo along the 173-mile route before including passengers.
Comprised of members of the Colorado Department of Transportation and engineering firm AECOM, the team boasts having partnerships with the Denver International Airport, the City of Denver, and the City of Greeley.
The first phase of the project would connect Denver International Airport to Greeley and would eventually expand into a 360-mile system.
This is the third route proposal to pass through Denver, Colorado. This team is lead by Blake Anneberg, a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast. The first phase of the 242-mile project would run between Denver and Colorado Springs or Denver and Fort Collins before expanding to other cities.
The team was created by engineering firm AECOM and led by Steven Duong, an AECOM urban designer. The 640-mile system would connect all the major cities in Texas and carry passengers and cargo. The route would follow I-35 and I-10.
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