A maglev system uses buoyancy and electromagnetic repulsion to propel vehicles with almost no friction. The world's fastest maglev system is currently in Shanghai with a maximum speed of 431 km/h, with the world record for maglev trains held by the L0 series in Japan with a maximum speed of 603 km/h. Recently, researchers from the National University of Defense Technology in China announced the success of accelerating their maglev system from 0-700 km/h in 2 seconds.
This places it as the system with the fastest acceleration capability in the world with a target of allowing it to accelerate to 1000 km/h. This rapid acceleration is also matched by a system that decelerates back to zero within 400 meters.
The test system consists of a 1-ton sled. What makes this test interesting is that the maglev system operates at a temperature of –196 °C, which is higher than the –269 °C required for other superconductors. Although developed for maglev train systems, this high-acceleration technology could also be used for the StarTram “space train” system.
This fictional system would allow space vehicles to be launched into space using only a single-stage rocket.
