The first test runs of China’s hyperloop project, which aims to build ultra-fast land transport technology, have been accomplished utilizing a full-sized passenger capsule. The tests were conducted at a superconducting maglev test line in Datong, Shanxi province, and the capsule reached speeds of up to 50 km/h while traveling 210 meters each time.
The project’s goal is to eventually move passengers and cargo at 1,000 km/h or faster in a near-vacuum tube, making it the world’s fastest ground-based transport system. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), which created and operates the facility, carried out the tests.
CASIC has been involved in the development of advanced weapons systems such as rail guns and the DF-17, China’s first operational hypersonic missile. Some military specialists feel that new Datong hyperloop facility technology, such as electromagnetic propulsion and power management systems, could be utilized for defense.
CASIC reported that critical components, including superconducting magnets, high-power electric systems, AI safety controls, wireless communication devices, and sensors, all worked as planned during the tests, paving the way for future experiments at higher speeds. The idea of a “hyperloop” tube train was first proposed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk in 2012, and he established The Boring Company to bring the idea to life.
The project team completed its first test run less than a year after construction began. The test facility’s tube is currently 2 kilometers long and will be extended to 60 kilometers in the coming years to achieve a top speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour. China has the distinction of currently operating the world’s largest high-speed rail network, with a total length of more than 26,000 miles (42,000 km). In the next two years, the government intends to increase the maximum speed of its trains to 248 miles per hour (400 kilometers per hour).