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US venture firm SpaceX has unveiled a plan to enable passengers to travel between cities around the world by rocket in about 30 minutes. CEO Elon Musk made the announcement at an international conference in Australia on Friday. The idea is to launch a spacecraft carrying passengers on a rocket that travels in space at a speed of up to 27,000 kilometers per hour. Musk said a trip between New York and Shanghai would take 39 minutes. A journey between Tokyo and Los Angeles would take 32 minutes, and a trip from New York to Paris would take exactly 30 minutes.
The firm aims to turn the idea into a reality by offering a trip that will cost about the same as an economy class seat on an airplane.
Musk proposed using SpaceX’s forthcoming mega-rocket (codenamed Big #ing Rocket or BFR for short) to lift a massive spaceship into orbit around the Earth. The ship would then settle down on floating landing pads near major cities. Both the new rocket and spaceship are currently theoretical, though Musk did say that he hopes to begin construction on the rocket in the next six to nine months.
Elon Musk proposes city-to-city travel by rocket, right here on Earth
The firm aims to turn the idea into a reality by offering a trip that will cost about the same as an economy class seat on an airplane.
originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
I think this is a terrible idea. i do not know but I would hazard a guess that rockets are far more worse for the environment than plane travel. I think it will just end us as the new rich kid travel. I don't trust Elon either. He's not a visionary, he's a business-man looking to extort tax-payers money for his own projects which he will then profit immensely from.
originally posted by: hounddoghowlie
a reply to: nOraKat
won't be much room for passengers or luggage. you got to to limit weight and account for fuel and oxygen for the trip.
so i bet that it would be a no frills ride, he says that capacity would be between 80 to 200 people, bet that seating would be even more cramped than air travel, plus what about restrooms, make sure you take a leak before you board, or will they make you pee in your suit, that's something else, would you have to wear a space suit, wonder if it would be one size fits all, or would you have to buy your own. another thing i wonder, if everyday people will be able to handle the g's?
so their is plan is to build a BFR ( Big ___ing Rocket) no sh@@ that's what they call it.
Musk proposed using SpaceX’s forthcoming mega-rocket (codenamed Big #ing Rocket or BFR for short) to lift a massive spaceship into orbit around the Earth. The ship would then settle down on floating landing pads near major cities. Both the new rocket and spaceship are currently theoretical, though Musk did say that he hopes to begin construction on the rocket in the next six to nine months.
Elon Musk proposes city-to-city travel by rocket, right here on Earth
plus i wonder if they'll be able to make the BFR land better then the falcon. another thing i wonder about, if everyday people will be able to handle the g's? i think that his 3g's is bunk, the way i understand it g force is relative to weight, so wouldn't the BFR's weight,fuel, oxygen, passengers, luggage, plus what ever else is needed have to be limited? and where would the limits be cut from?
In 2015, Musk's statements were subject to further scrutiny when an LA Times article claimed that SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity and buyers of their products had or were projected to receive together an estimated US$4.9 billion in government subsidies over twenty years. One example given is New York state, which is spending $750 million to build a solar panel factory in Buffalo which will be leased to SolarCity for $1 a year. The deal also includes no property taxes for a decade, an estimated $260 million valuation. Musk employs a former U.S. State Department official as the chief negotiator for Tesla.