SpaceX fires off hyperloop races in varsities across California: UCI’s team leads the pack

Way back in 2013, Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors. For those who are new to SpaceX, it is one of its kind Hi-Tech organizations at aim at making space equipment and vehicle at a fraction of their cost. Last year, SpaceX made several debut satellite launches which marked a new milestone among the private players in space exploration.

In the recent theme of research and development by this ingenious organization, high-speed road transport has caught its imagination. Elon Musk put forward the concept of hyperloop in front of the scientific community and tech enthusiasts. The concept is rather simple and involves speed pods moving at an ultra high speed in vacuum tunnels dug below the surface of the earth.

After the hyperloop competition was announced by Elon Musk last year, the UC Irvine team got on to designing their pod for the same. After knocking off other competitors during the project submissions and other preliminary stages, the UC Irvine team called HyperXite got to the finals scheduled this Sunday in SpaceX headquarters at Hawthorne.

The team members working on this project site that the key concerns throughout the development, are trying to keep the pod as light as possible by making use of high end, lightweight material like aluminum, carbon fiber etc. According to Mackenzie Puig-Hall, the team project manager of HyperXite the pod has been tested for the various safety challenges and that is what they would be trying to showcase during the final showdown. As the pod speeds off at a staggering 230 mph down the test track, the team will put an Anteater mascot model in the pod, Says Puig-Hall.

Hyperloop is one of the technologies of the latest times that has the potential to change the face of road transport forever.