‘Cross continents at 16,700 mph’: Elon Musk says New York City to Shanghai in 40 minutes is ‘now possible’
Musk says his dream of rocketing passengers across the world in under an hour on the Starship rocket is “now possible” after Donald Trump’s re-election.
Elon Musk wants to change the way we fly. The billionaire tech mogul is pushing forward with SpaceX’s plans to launch “Earth to Earth” space travel, offering intercontinental flights that take off like a rocket and land just minutes later across the globe.
Musk says his dream of rocketing passengers across the world in under an hour on the Starship rocket is “now possible” after Donald Trump’s re-election.
First envisioned nearly a decade ago, Musk’s plan would see SpaceX’s 395-foot stainless-steel rocket, Starship, ferry passengers from one major city to another in record-breaking time. London to New York? Thirty minutes. New York to Shanghai? Just 39 minutes. Instead of plunging deep into space, the rocket would glide along Earth’s orbit, making long-haul flights a blink-and-you’re-there experience.
But this isn’t your average plane ride. Passengers will need to brace for G-forces during liftoff and landing and stay belted during the low-gravity journey. SpaceX even suggests that travelers might want to recline and “clench” as they exit and re-enter the atmosphere.
The bold venture has stirred excitement where a user suggested that Trump’s FAA might greenlight the project quickly. Musk replied, “This is now possible,” fueling speculation that approvals could come sooner than later.
A sleek SpaceX video showcases the dream: passengers boarding a boat in New York City, heading to a Starship launchpad offshore, and rocketing to Shanghai in under 40 minutes. While the trip looks smooth on-screen, SpaceX has noted that these rapid flights may not include standard perks—think no toilets or food, with Musk suggesting “tactical” bathroom breaks on the boat.
Originally built to take humanity to Mars, Musk’s Starship might just turn global travel on its head, making flights in minutes the new normal.
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