MASS TRANSPORTATION COULD
ACTUALLY WORK.
IT’S A PROJECT THAT HAS
MOTIVATED A TEAM OF 300
ENGINEERS WITH A BIG DREAM,
LAUNCHING THE HYPERLOOP INTO ITS
NEXT TEST PHASE, TRANSPORTING
THE VERY FIRST HUMAN PASSENGERS
AT LIGHTNING SPEED.
>> READY TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
>> WE TRAVELED TO THE LAUNCH
SITE TO SEE FOR OURSELVES.
40 MILES FROM THE LAS VEGAS
STRIP IN THE HEART OF THE
DESERT, VIRGIN’S HYPERLOOP ONE
IS AN IMPRESSIVE SITE.
ABOUT A 1500 FOOT-LONG TEST
TRACK AND TODAY WE’RE ABOUT TO
WITNESS A MILESTONE IN
TRANSPORTATION HISTORY.
IT USES MAGNETS TO LEVITATE A
PASSENGER POD ABOVE A TRACK,
PUSHING IT FORWARD IN A VACUUM
TUBE AT SPEEDS UP TO 600 MILES
PER HOUR.
IMAGINE THE SPEED OF AN
AIRPLANE, THE CONVENIENCE OF A
TRAIN, AND THE COMPANY SAYS YOU
GET BOTH WITH ZERO DIRECT
EMISSIONS.
THE TRAVEL TIME FROM NEW YORK TO
WASHINGTON, D.C., JUST 30
MINUTES.
OR HOUSTON TO DALLAS IN UNDER
25.
>> THIS IS GOING TO BE SO SMOOTH
THAT IF YOU’RE DRINKING A CUP OF
COFFEE, YOU WON’T EVEN SPILL IT.
>> THE FIRST TWO PASSENGERS,
JOSH GEIGEL, HYPERLOOP’S CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
OFFICER AND SARA LUKIEN.
>> I COULDN’T SLEEP LAST NIGHT.
WE WERE NOT IN SPACE SUITS.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF PERSON
GETTING ON A HYPERLOOP IN THE
FUTURE.
THIS SYSTEM IS SAFE FOR US TO
WALK INTO.
>> SEVERAL COMPANIES HAVE BEEN
EXPANDING ON THE IDEA FIRST
CREATED BY TESLA’S CEO ELON MUSK
IN 2013.
BUT WITH THE LAUNCH OF REAL
PASSENGERS, VIRGIN’S HYPERLOOP
MAY HAVE JUMPED INTO THE LEAD.
JUST SIX YEARS AFTER JOSH
STARTED THE COMPANY IN HIS
GARAGE.
TO START THE LAUNCH, JOSH AND
SARA ENTERED THE POD WHICH WAS
PUSHED INTO A DEPRESSURIZATION
CHAMBER CREATING A VACUUM.
>> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, LAUNCH.
>> IT’S A TENSE FEW SECONDS.
AND FINALLY, SUCCESS AT 107 MILES PER HOUR IN UNDER TEN
MILES PER HOUR IN UNDER TEN
SECONDS.
>> SARA, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE
AS A PASSENGER ONBOARD, WHAT DID
IT FEEL LIKE?
>> IT WAS SMOOTHER THAN
EXPECTED, IT WAS EASY, IT WAS
QUIET, IT WAS GREAT.
>> HOW DOES THIS TRANSLATE TO
REALITY PERHAPS IN THE VERY NEAR
FUTURE?
>> WELL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HARD
TO SEE BUT THAT WAS LONGER THAN
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST
FLIGHT.
THE FIRST FLIGHT DOESN’T NEED TO
BE LONG TO SHOW HOW FAR WE CAN
ACTUALLY GO.
>> FROM THE LAS VEGAS DESERT TO
EVENTUALLY CONNECTING CITIES
AROUND THE WORLD, THE VISION
HERE IS A CLEANER AND GREENER
COMMUTE THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE
WAY PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK.
>> TALK ABOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT
TO THIS.
WHAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN YOU
PUT ENOUGH BRILLIANT BRAINS
BEHIND IT BECOMES VERY POSSIBLE.
>> THIS ISN’THAS BEEN SUCH A
DIFFICULT YEAR FOR SO MANY
PEOPLE FOR SO MANY REASONS.
WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE
DREAMING A COHESIVE DREAM
TOGETHER ABOUT A BETTER FUTURE
AND YOU PICK THE RIGHT TEAM,
IT’S TREMENDOUS WHAT THEY CAN
ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.
>> WOW.
>> GUYS, THE TEAM HAS RUN MORE
THAN 400 UNOCCUPIED TESTS PRIOR
TO THIS FIRST TEST WITH THE
PASSENGERS.
YOU SAW THE POD THERE
COMFORTABLY SEATING TWO.
BUT THE FUTURE POD WOULD
COMFORTABLY SEAT 28 PEOPLE.
THE IDEA IS IT WOULD WORK LIKE
AN ELEVATOR.
YOU PRESS A BUTTON AND THE BAUD
MOVES IN.
IT WOULD NOT APEOPERATE ON A TRA
SCHEDULE LIKE EVERY 30 MINUTES A
NEW POD WOULD SHOOT DOWN THE
TUBE.
>> WOULD YOU TRY IT?
>> I SAID PLEASE, WOULD YOU TRY.
YOUR FIRST REAL PASSENGER NOT
PART OF THE COMPANY.
>> TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEWHERE
THAT QUICKLY IS A GAME-CHANGER.
>> I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THEY SAID IT WAS NICE AND
SMOOTH BUT COULD THEY ACTUALLY
FEEL THE SPEED?
I’M JUST IMAGINING LIKE ROCKING
ROLLER COASTER IN DISNEY AND IT
THROWING ME BACK INTO MY SEAT.
AND TWO, COULD THIS ACTUALLY
BECOME A REALITY?
>> INTERESTING.
THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION
FIRST.
IT HAS LIKE TWO TIME G FORCES SO
THEY SAY YOU DON’T REALLY FEEL
IT, IT’S LIKE AIR TRAVEL, WHAT
YOU FEEL IN AN AIRPLANE EXCEPT
YOU’RE NOT FEELING ANYTHING ON
THE SIDE SO YOU’RE NOT GETTING
PUSHED AROUND SIDEWAYS SO IT’S
JUST STRAIGHT DOWN THE TUBE.
NOW, IN TERMS OF HOW CLOSE THIS
IS TO REALITY, THE COMPANY SAYS
THAT THEY HOPE WITHIN A DECADE
OR SO THEY COULD POTENTIALLY
HAVE A FEW CITIES CONNECTED THIS
WAY, BUT THERE ARE OF COURSE A
LOT OF CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD,
INCLUDING THE TECHNICAL SIDE.
BUT ALSO HAVING THE LAND SPACE
AND THE RIGHTS FOR SUCH A
NETWORK THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE
ESTABLISHED.
>> THAT MAKES SENSE.
I FEEL LIKE IT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN, THOUGH.
DO YOU REMEMBER WATCHING THE
JETSONS AND SEEING THEM TALK TO
PEOPLE AND YOU’RE LIKE, OH, CAN
YOU IMAGINE TALKING TO SOMEONE
AND SEEING THEIR FACE?
RIGHT?
>> OR "STAR WARS" WHEN YOU SHOOT
OUT THE PODS.
>> THAT WAS GREAT.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, NATALIE.
>> NAT?
>> YES, GO AHEAD, CRAIG.
>> I WOULD IMAGINE THERE WOULD
PROBABLY BE SOME REGULATORY
ISSUES AS WELL, BUT ONE OF THE
THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS STORY,
A FEW MINUTES AGO WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
PFIZER COMING UP WITH THIS
VACCINE FINALLY.
THIS IDEA THAT WE CAN STILL DO
BIG, GREAT THINGS IN THIS
COUNTRY, WHETHER IT’S THE
HYPERLOOP OR COMING UP WITH A
VACCINE IN SIX MONTHS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK THAT’S TRULY THE
HUMAN ELEMENT TO THE STORY HERE.
A LOT OF BRILLIANT PEOPLE OUT
THERE, IF THEY PUT THEIR BRAINS
TO IT, THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT
SEEMS TO BE THE IMPOSSIBLE AND
MAKE IT POSSIBLE IN A SHORT
AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO YES, THIS SYSTEM OF
TRANSPORTATION COULD VERY MUCH
WELL EXIST WITHIN THE NEXT TEN
YEARS.
THEY SAY IT’S BEEN OVER A
CENTURY SINCE WE’VE HAD A NEW
SYSTEM OF MASS TRANSPORTATION.
SO WE NEED TO START THINKING
ABOUT THE FUTURE.
>> OH, I LOVE THAT.