The headline sounds unreal yet predictive, considering it comes from Elon Musk, a businessman who wants humanity to achieve the impossible. Co-founder of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and now X, Musk has always set wacky goals for his firms and in many events, even achieved it. In a recent interview, Musk has now claimed that the future of travel on Earth is going to be faster than what we witness currently. A trip from Los Angeles to Sydney would take just 30 minutes, claims Musk.
Musk has outlined a plan for a rapid transport system that could allow global travel in under 30 minutes. The concept, which leverages SpaceX’s Starship rocket system, promises to revolutionise how people move across the planet. At the same time, it has also raised questions about its practicality and accessibility.
Musk to use Starship for global travel
Speaking on the occasion of Starship‘s latest launch, Musk suggested that the vehicle could travel at speeds up to 25 times the speed of sound — which is roughly 30 times faster than a commercial aircraft. He shared examples of what this could mean for global travel – a flight from Los Angeles to Sydney or Tokyo could take less than half an hour, while a trip across the Atlantic could be completed in just 10 minutes.
Compared to conventional air travel, Musk’s Starship system could allow for faster transit across oceans, land and cities. Currently, the fastest mode of mass transport available commercially is airliners that fly at speeds under Mach 1. The Concorde, which flew in the late 90s, used to travel at speeds over Mach 2, but was withdrawn from service owing to the economic scale and the issue of sonic boom over land. Musk’s idea of going hypersonic in space for travelling between continents not only solves the issue of sonic boom but also eliminates pollution concerns.
In a nutshell, then, Musk’s vision paints a picture of a future where international travel is no longer a day-long ordeal. Utilising the Starship rocket system, intercontinental travel could be just a quick hop from one continent to another.
Netizens react to Musk’s Starship bus
Soon after the interview went on air, social media was abuzz with discussions and chatter. While some of them liked Elon Musk’s idea of lightning-fast travel, others went on to criticise the impractical bits. Check out some of the interesting commentary on Musk’s interview post.
