Friday marks the second anniversary of the first major Hyperloop test, conducted by Virgin Hyperloop One in the desert north of Las Vegas.
The test involved a sled traveling down a track at a top speed of 116 mph in an effort to demonstrate the propulsion system that would later carry full-scale prototypes of the pods Virgin Hyperloop One will use when it introduces commercial Hyperloop systems. The company has said it is working to have three Hyperloop systems running by 2021.
Hyperloop is a high-speed transit system first proposed by Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper. The system would send passengers in pressurized electric pods through vacuum-sealed tubes at over 600 mph.
Virgin Hyperloop One holds the current Hyperloop test speed record of 240 mph, which the company set in December. In April, Elon Musk has said he will attempt to break the record with a Tesla and SpaceX-branded Hyperloop pod traveling at half the speed of sound “soon.”
While Musk is using his Boring Company to dig underground tunnels that could be used for Hyperloop systems, Virgin Hyperloop One is a leading contender to complete the first commercial Hyperloop system. Virgin Hyperloop One is also working on a Hyperloop system businesses can use to ship goods.
Here’s a look at Virgin Hyperloop One’s history and its plans for the future.
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