Solar Express Can Get You To Mars In Two Days

While Elon Musk made us believe in Mars trips in the first place, it’s this Montreal innovator that will make them do-able in your eyes. Charles Bombardier came up with “Solar Express”, a interplanetary train that could reach Mars in 2 days #todaymagic

This concept vehicle would make the journey in such a short period of time because it would travel at an astonishing rate of 3,000 kilometres per second (1,864 miles per second). Wouldn’t that increase the costs? Naturally, especially where fuel is concerned for the acceleration and deceleration part. That’s why Bombardier plans to make Solar Express an on-going train.

“[…] once the train reached its cruising speed, its energy consumption would be minimal. That’s the idea behind the Solar Express concept. It would never stop; instead, space wagons/capsules would rendezvous with it.”, he explained.

How would Solar Express look? Imagine a series of aligned cylinders about 50 meters in total length. Six of them would go through space, from point to point, dropping passengers or taking other ships with them. Rocket boosters would be used to launch, remaining fuel to adjust course and the rest of the energy would be sucked up from solar arrays found on the way.

In theory, it sounds great. In practice, well… there’s along way to go until we reach that point. “Obviously, there is a lot to consider, starting with dimensions, masses, speed, energy, etc. How do you control such a complex vehicle?” Bombardier said. “The Solar Express is a basic idea and we would like to know how we could improve it.”