LONDON (AP-Mod.) — Getting anywhere on the planet in under an hour — one of the more intriguing possibilities that Elon Musk, the billionaire innovator, raised as he unveiled plans for a new rocket.
Musk said the vessel would both take off and land vertically, like a space rocket. It would fly most routes — New York to Tokyo, for example — in about 30 minutes, and anywhere in under an hour.
At a presentation Friday in Australia, Musk showed off plans for the so-called BFR rocket, which would also be able to bring satellites into orbit and crews to Mars.
Musk's company, SpaceX, has been able to make smaller rockets land vertically, though the technical and commercial feasibility of this new venture is yet to be determined.
The plan is to launch a massive spaceship into orbit around the earth and then land on floating pads near major cities.
Spacecraft designers say between 80 and 200 people could fit in the rocket per trip, and they could travel at 18,000 miles per hour.
That’s the fastest humans have ever traveled.
That’s the same rocket Musk wants to send humans to Mars on within the next seven years.
Musk says the next step in making this a reality is finding the money for it, but he’s confident they will land a cargo ship on mars in five years and land humans on Mars by 2024.
