Technology
Elon Musk Earth to Earth: SpaceX’s Plan to Revolutionize Travel with Starship
Elon Musk Earth to Earth project is about to take shape after Trump wins US Elections in 2024. Now in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk has announced to make SpaceX Earth to Earth flights possible.
Earth to Earth travel includes SpaceX’s Starship reinventing long-distance travel by taking passengers and freight between cities at unimaginable speeds.
Details of Elon Musk Earth to Earth travel
Elon Musk confirmed on 6 November via his video message on X that SpaceX rapid transportation would be possible after receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval. The post mentioned that Earth to Earth Starship travel is expected in the upcoming Presidential term, which is now under Trump.
The video message said,
“Most long-distance trips are less than 30 minutes. Anywhere on Earth in under an hour. This is now possible”.
It was first suggested almost a decade ago that SpaceX high-speed travel would be able to take a maximum of 1,000 passengers, which would be the Earth’s most powerful rocket able to travel to space.
Instead of traveling deep into space to shorten the travel time, rocket-based Earth travel would travel along the surface of the Earth. It would assist in cutting hours-long journeys into minutes. Reaching destinations around Earth would remain no more a hassle with Musk’s Earth to Earth and its intercontinental rocket travel.
SpaceX Earth-to-Earth flights
According to SpaceX’s official website, the details of intercity rocket travel times are enlisted as follows:
| Route | Commercial flight time | Earth to Earth travel time |
| Los Angeles to New York | 5 hours 25 mins | 25 minutes |
| Bangkok to Dubai | 6 hours 25 mins | 27 minutes |
| Tokyo to Singapore | 7 hours 10 mins | 28 minutes |
| London to New York | 7 hours 55 mins | 29 minutes |
| New York to Paris | 7 hours 20 mins | 30 minutes |
| Sydney to Singapore | 8 hours 20 mins | 31 minutes |
| London to Hong Kong | 11 hours 50 mins | 34 minutes |
What would be the cost of rocket-based Earth travel?
The cost of rocket-based passenger travel might not be affordable to everyone since it would cost thousands of dollars for one ticket.
Besides, travelers might experience the Starship G-forces effect that makes the body of passengers weightless. They would be strapped tightly and safely when they would experience the phenomenon, particularly during the middle of the flight.
Moreover, it would be advised to the passengers to clench their muscles during take-off and landing. There might be unusual challenges for new travelers, however, once the guidelines are fully comprehended, the flight would become time-contracting and enjoyable.
As Earth to Earth would not require a toilet break, Musk himself claims, there could be a ‘tactical toilet break’ before the launch of the rocket to maximize comfort and thrill during a luxury Earth to Earth travel in SpaceX.
The experts are still skeptical about its affordable rocket travel challenges. Although Musk declared that one day, it would be as affordable as an economy plane ticket. The current fare of a 90-minute trip to space costs half a billion dollars per person that companies like Virgin Galactic charge at present.
How SpaceX Starship would be like for Earth to Earth travels?
SpaceX Starship features include the combination of the Starship aircraft and Super Heavy rocket. It would utilize reusable rocket technology specially designed for the purpose of orbiting the Earth, the Moon, and beyond. It could be imagined as if SpaceX Earth orbit missions are repurposed.
Since it is predicted to be the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, it is able to carry around 150 metric tonnes when it is performing in its reusable configuration and 250 metric tonnes when in expendable feature.
It was originally designed to travel from moon to moon with a speed of 16,700 miles per hour but now it can take a flight from New York to Shanghai easily in 39 minutes.
How Trump would support Earth to Earth project?
Elon Musk invested more than $130 million in Trump’s Presidential campaign, now is Trump’s time to pay back. With Trump’s second term, Musk is positive that it is possible.
US presidential term aviation innovations are expected to skyrocket since Trump shares the same vision as Musk. With Mars colonization and more of a futuristic America agenda on mind, the Trump and Musk collaboration is anticipated to become a near-future reality.
With Trump now in power, SpaceX FAA approval might not remain a big deal since SpaceX is ready to show its engineering prowess, for which it has recently made a sixth launch trial for Starship where Donald Trump was a special guest.
What is the future of high-speed transportation?
According to a Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) report in 2019, the high-speed travel market might grow to $29 billion per year by 2030. It would gain pace as Musk’s proposed technology improves.
More than 150 million passengers take flights when they need to travel 10 hours each year. UBS estimated that this market could reach billions of dollars if only 5 percent of the flights are catered and switched to rocket trips costing $2,500 per trip.
Musk has pledged several point-to-point travels but hasn’t said much about the prices. Since rockets are subjected to stricter regulations, approvals from the FAA are desperately required for the project’s successful launch.
The approval is highly subjected to some of the skeptic rocket technology’s testing. However, several SpaceX tourism innovations like Polaris Dawn, Inspiration 4, Starship, and sending tourists around the Earth without an airlock are here to initiate a debate.
FAQs
1. What is Elon Musk’s Earth-to-Earth travel project?
The Earth-to-Earth travel project is a SpaceX initiative aimed at using Starship rockets for high-speed intercontinental travel. It envisions transporting passengers and cargo between cities worldwide in under an hour by utilizing suborbital spaceflight technology.
2. How fast is Earth-to-Earth rocket travel?
Starship is expected to achieve speeds allowing most long-distance trips to be completed in 30 minutes or less. For example:
- Los Angeles to New York: 25 minutes
- London to New York: 29 minutes
- Sydney to Singapore: 31 minutes
3. How many passengers can Starship carry for Earth-to-Earth travel?
Starship is designed to carry up to 1,000 passengers per trip, making it the most powerful rocket for large-scale transport.
4. What are the potential costs of Earth-to-Earth travel?
Currently, the ticket price for such travel is projected to be in the thousands of dollars, making it accessible primarily to affluent travelers. Elon Musk has indicated a long-term goal of making the trips as affordable as economy-class airfares.
5. What are the challenges of Earth-to-Earth travel?
- Cost: The current pricing is prohibitive for most travelers.
- G-forces: Passengers may experience weightlessness and intense G-forces, which could be uncomfortable.
- Regulations: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval is required for commercial operation.
- Safety: Ensuring passenger safety during suborbital flight is a significant challenge.
6. How does Earth-to-Earth travel differ from traditional space missions?
Unlike missions to deep space, Earth-to-Earth flights stay close to Earth’s surface in a suborbital trajectory. This approach minimizes travel time between cities without venturing into outer space.
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