Elon Musk will help you travel from London to New York in just 29 minutes
Elon Musk will help you travel from London to New York in just 29 minutes
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of transportation on Earth. With the world’s most powerful rocket, Starship, the visionary tech mogul is aiming to revolutionize how we think about global travel. The idea? Flights between major cities around the world in under an hour.
Starship: Faster Than Any Commercial Flight
Imagine boarding a rocket from a sea-based platform, accelerating into the sky, and landing on another continent within half an hour. SpaceX envisions Starship carrying up to 1,000 passengers in an all-economy class configuration, cutting long-haul travel times dramatically. For instance, you could travel from Sydney to Singapore in just 31 minutes or from New York to Sydney in 49 minutes.
SpaceX has outlined an intriguing operational method for Starship’s Earth-based flights. Passengers would be shuttled to offshore launch pads where the rocket would blast off into suborbital space. The concept is akin to a rollercoaster ride, with minimal comfort amenities. Starship won’t have restrooms or galleys, and passengers will remain strapped into their seats during the high-speed journey, which lasts between 15 to 30 minutes.
Elon Musk has even compared the experience to Disney’s Space Mountain, where passengers are locked into their seats for the duration of the ride. The thrill, however, comes with an unbeatable reward: stepping out onto a new continent in record time.
FAA Approval and Future Prospects
SpaceX is actively working to secure regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for this ambitious project. While some hope was pinned on the administration under President Trump for speedy clearance, the potential launch timeline remains a subject of speculation.
Routes and Time Estimates
- London to New York: 29 minutes
- New York to Paris: 30 minutes
- Tokyo to Delhi: 30 minutes
- Los Angeles to London: 32 minutes
- New York to Sydney: 49 minutes
These rapid travel times could turn day-long journeys into less-than-hour flights, revolutionizing the entire concept of global travel.