Two seconds to 700 km/h: China sets new world record in superconducting maglev propulsion
China has set a new world record in superconducting electric maglev propulsion, accelerating a tonne-level test vehicle to 700 km/h in just two seconds. The breakthrough was achieved by a research team from the National University of Defense Technology on a 400-meter maglev test line. The result marks a major advance in ultra-high-speed electromagnetic propulsion and offers new technological possibilities for future maglev transportation and aerospace testing.
On a 400-meter test line, the maglev team at the National University of Defense Technology achieved a maximum test speed of 700 km/h with a ton-scale load and ensured that the vehicle stopped safely.
Dedicated to maglev research for 10 years, the team has overcome core technical challenges such as ultra-high-speed electromagnetic propulsion, electric suspension guidance, transient high-power energy storage inverters, and high-field superconducting magnets.
This breakthrough [...] offers new methods for aerospace boost launches and experimental testing.
On a 400-meter test line, the maglev team at the National University of Defense Technology achieved a maximum test speed of 700 km/h with a ton-scale load and ensured that the vehicle stopped safely.
Dedicated to maglev research for 10 years, the team has overcome core technical challenges such as ultra-high-speed electromagnetic propulsion, electric suspension guidance, transient high-power energy storage inverters, and high-field superconducting magnets.
This breakthrough [...] offers new methods for aerospace boost launches and experimental testing.
China's 435-mph maglev test reveals what caution is costing the West
Researchers at China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) have accelerated a one-ton vehicle from a dead stop to 435 mph (700 km/h) in under two seconds – then back to zero mph on about a 1/4 mile (1,312 ft / 400 meter) magnetic levitation test track. It's not just fast – it's absurd. That makes it the quickest superconducting maglev acceleration ever demonstrated.
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While a standing 0-435 mph standing start is impressive, it's by no means meant as a passenger experience. The g-forces alone wouldn't quite turn would-be passengers into Jell-O, but it puts it just beyond expert fighter pilot blackout territory at around 10 g. Surprisingly, the stop, as quick as it is, would only be around 5 g. Either way, it would make for a fun amusement park ride that you'll never remember.
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But NUDT isn't stopping there. The eventual goal is to hit the 621 mph (1,000 km/h) mark, surpassing the typical 550-580 mph (885-933 km/h) that passenger planes generally cruise at. The system tested uses "high-temperature superconducting magnets" with electric superconducting coils on the sled that create a magnetic field that interacts with the track to create levitation. T
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SCMP reported in its article implying other uses beyond passenger train technology, citing it could be used as assisted takeoff by significantly reducing the cost of getting rockets off the ground. Somewhat similar to Spinlaunch, in propelling objects vertically before requiring a staged rocket to complete the journey to orbit and beyond. Or the superconducting magnets could be used to emulate high-speed flight for testing specialized equipment.
The following image is an AI-generated fantasy depiction of the Chinese maglev speed record. The depiction has nothing to do with reality; it is completely misleading, dramatized, and technically grossly inaccurate. It is surprising that such fantasy representations are created and published when there are actual film footage and photos of the record-setting maglev sled ride.
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