Virgin Hyperloop One sets speed record, names Branson chairman

Traveling at jetliner speeds over land has taken another step closer to reality.

Virgin Hyperloop One claims they set a record for hyperloop speed testing, clocking their pod at 387 kilometers per hour (240 miles per hour).

This beats the 324 kph achieved by the WARR Hyperloop team from the Technical University of Munich in August.

Virgin Hyperloop One's latest test campaign involved trying out a new airlock, which depressurized the tube housing the hyperloop's 487-meter-long test track. The air inside the tube was thinned out to the equivalent of the air pressure at 200,000 feet above sea level, allowing for a near-frictionless ride.

Want to know what it's like to ride in a hyperloop at 240 miles per hour? Watch this: https://t.co/Gmej3RfICY pic.twitter.com/VKLqZWPf1r

— WIRED (@WIRED) December 19, 2017

In October, Hyperloop One announced a name change to Virgin Hyperloop One after the Virgin Group invested in the company to form a global strategic partnership.

On December 19, Virgin Hyperloop One also announced that it had raised $50 million in new financing, and named British billionaire and founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, non-executive chairman.

Three exciting announcements today in testing, funding, and leadership! https://t.co/Uw5kLzE5NM

— Hyperloop One (@HyperloopOne) December 18, 2017

The high-speed transportation system is the brainchild of American entrepreneur Elon Musk, who envisioned a high speed underground transport system that would shoot passengers in enclosed capsules through low-pressure steel tubes at up to 1,288 kph (800 mph), cutting the travel time between New York and Washington to about 30 minutes.

By traveling in vacuum tubes on magnetic cushions, Hyperloop trains would avoid being slowed down by air pressure or the friction of wheels on rails, making them faster and cheaper to operate, supporters say. A number of startups have begun to develop the technology, despite concerns about the cost and practicality.

Hyperloop, explained. pic.twitter.com/ZHY3iBjhjL

— Hyperloop One (@HyperloopOne) August 2, 2017

— Reuters