Elon Musk’s SpaceX could totally transform travel. With his crazy plans, you could fly between cities anywhere in the world, fast. His “Starship” rocket, built for space, could also cut air travel times — Musk says it could get you from London to New York in just 29 minutes.
Not a fan of flying? Musk is also considering a $25 trillion underwater tunnel between the two cities, though he thinks he could do it for much less.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket could dramatically reduce air travel times
According to SpaceX, this huge rocket will be able to carry up to 1,000 passengers and can fly anywhere on Earth in under an hour. The company says most long trips could take under 30 minutes.
The plan is for passengers to travel by boat to the rocket’s launch location, where it’ll be ready to blast off from a platform at sea.
The Starship rocket could travel faster than anything we’ve seen
The rocket could reach speeds of up to 27,000 km/h, while the fastest commercial jets fly around 1,061 km/h. That’s a pretty wild difference.
SpaceX’s new travel experience would be revolutionary
Back in 2019, Musk tweeted: “1000, as all seats would be ‘coach’ & no toilets, pilot area or food galley needed. Most flights would only be 15 to 20 mins. It’s basically an ICBM traveling at Mach 25 that lands.”
When someone asked if passengers could move around during the flight, he responded, “That would be unwise. Probably needs a restraint mechanism like Disney’s Space Mountain roller coaster. Would feel similar to Space Mountain in a lot of ways, but you’d exit on another continent.”
Will SpaceX’s Starship rocket be cleared for Earth-to-Earth travel soon?
An X user, @ajtourville, shared a clip saying that SpaceX could get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during Donald Tr-mp’s presidency.
He added, “Under Tr-mp’s FAA, @SpaceX could even get Starship Earth to Earth approved in a few years – Taking people from any city to any other city on Earth in under one hour.” Musk replied, “This is now possible.”
Potential global routes for SpaceX’s Starship rocket
Here are a few of the flight times SpaceX is dreaming of:
• London to New York – 29 minutes
• New York to Paris – 30 minutes
• Honolulu to Tokyo – 30 minutes
• Tokyo to Delhi – 30 minutes
• Sydney to Singapore – 31 minutes
• LA to London – 32 minutes
• London to Hong Kong – 34 minutes
• London to Cape Town – 34 minutes
• Sydney to Delhi – 36 minutes
• New York to Sydney – 49 minutes
Elon Musk’s proposal for a $20 trillion underwater tunnel
Musk has also floated the idea of building a $20 trillion underwater tunnel between London and New York. He’s convinced it could be done but for a lot less than that.
The proposed tunnel could get you from New York to London in 54 minutes
Daily Loud, a hip-hop news outlet, tweeted, “Proposed $20 Trillion tunnel would get you from New York to London in 54 minutes.”
Musk, who owns the platform, quickly responded, “The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money.”
The Boring Company’s role in revolutionizing transportation
The Boring Company, which Musk also owns, is a tunnel construction company he started in 2017. They’re all about building tunnels and improving infrastructure.
Are underwater tunnels feasible? Existing projects offer hope
Currently, an ambitious engineering project is underway, with the construction of an 18-kilometer tunnel designed to connect southern Denmark with northern Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. This groundbreaking tunnel, once completed, will revolutionize travel between these two countries, offering commuters a more efficient and dependable route for their daily journeys.
Denise Juchem, a spokesperson for Femern A/S—the company responsible for the tunnel’s construction—explained the project’s significance during an interview with Euronews Travel. “For commuters, this means a faster and more reliable connection between Denmark and Germany, significantly reducing travel time and making daily commutes much more convenient,” Juchem stated. With this new tunnel, passengers will be able to cross the Baltic Sea with ease, eliminating the need for time-consuming ferry rides and long waits. The project promises to streamline transportation, foster stronger economic ties between the two nations, and improve the quality of life for thousands of residents in both Denmark and Germany.
As one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Europe, the tunnel is set to become a crucial link that will not only benefit daily commuters but also boost trade and tourism between the two regions. The completion of this tunnel will mark a new era of connectivity, making cross-border travel between Denmark and Germany quicker, more efficient, and hassle-free. The Femern tunnel is expected to have a lasting impact on the local economy, creating new opportunities for businesses and offering a modern solution to the challenges of cross-border transportation. With construction progressing steadily, the project is set to redefine how people travel across the Baltic Sea.
The challenges of building underwater tunnels and how they are overcome
Markus Just, the Tunnel Design Quality Manager, explained that designing the Fehmarnbelt tunnel was a complex process that took a lot of planning.
“We decided to build basins in front of each of the three factory halls so that the tunnel elements could float up like in a lock and be transported to the work harbor.” The train line is set to open in 2029.
So, can you now imagine cutting your cross-continent travel time to just a few minutes? That’s the future Musk is working on.
It’s wild, but hey, anything’s possible with the right innovation, right?
Last Updated on December 30, 2024 by Rachel Backland
