Meet "Solar Express" That can Take- Humans to Mars in presently 37 Hours

Earlier this year, Charles Bombardier dreamt up a way to tour between continents at hypersonic speed (think New York to Dubai in 22 minutes). However now he’s set his sights on something much larger. Pushing the limits of his mind out of this world, the Montreal-based leader has envisioned Solar Express—a futuristic train intended to ferry goods and passengers between celestial bodies and space station.

Using the force of gravity to slingshot approximately planets and moons, the locomotive—designed in collaboration with manufacturing engineer Olivier Péraldi—would remain in steady motion similar to a ski lift, with lesser vehicles locking onto it along the way. The train would include of a series 50-meter-long cylinders placed end to end, with every capsule alienated into four cargo bays that preservation robots could swap in-flight. “A huge ‘space city’ would rotate approximately the longitudinal axis and give artificial gravity within so that humans could walk and live there during the extended months of travelling,” Bombardier notes.

The pattern, class, and function of every car would vary, though rest areas would likely fall towards the middle of the craft, where seriousness has less of an effect. The center would also hold a zero-gravity area, where certain experiment could be held, while outer zones with usual gravity would cater to human activities.

The craft would at first launch with the help of rocket boosters and use stored fuel to create any necessary course adjustment. Its speed would vary depending on its size and purpose, though would arrive at upwards of 3,000 km/s (or 1% the speed of light).

“In space, the majority expensive portions of travel are the speeding up and deceleration phases,” he explains. “The energy necessary is tremendous, but once the train reached its cruising speed, its authority consumption would be minimal.”

Outfitted with unbreakable front and aft shields, the vessel would be accompany by a fleet of drones ready with missiles or lasers that would zap any meteoroids intimidating to throw it off course.

Solar energy drawn by arrays located along the locomotive’s path may be used to power lighting and appliances, while water for traveler use would be composed from comets and moons. “The water could also be used to make hydrogen and propellant,” which could be used as a fuel option, he says. And asteroids captured en route could be browbeaten for their mineral resources.

As for the maximum space the train could journey, “There is no limit,” Bombardier asserts. He reckons the 1st  ship would shuttle cargo and traveler between Earth and the Moon—a trip that would take roughly seven hours to complete at the ideal speed of 15 km/s. “The Moon will serve as a launching pad for extra projects, because it is easier to collect and build this kind of train in the absence of gravity,” he says. “And Mars seems to be a high-quality candidate for the next phase, particularly if we can terraform it.”

Though fascinating, the notion begs a lot of questions, and likely won’t be viable for eons. “Obviously there is a lot to believe,” the designer admits. ”The general purpose here is to devise a system to convey minerals, materials, and human from one place to the other in our solar system. Solar Express is a vital idea, and we would like to know how we could get better it.”

Travel Times Onboard the Solar Express (at max space between celestial bodies and at max speed, or 3,000 km/s):

Earth to the Moon (384,472.28 km) → 2.13 minutes

Earth to the Sun (152 million km) → 14.07 hours

Earth to Venus (261 million km) → 24.17 hours

Earth to Mars (401 million km) → 37.13 hours

Earth to Neptune (4.7 billion km) → 18.13 days