The squad used powerful magnets to steady the sled on a 2100 foot-long track. In order for the magnets to work properly, they were cooled using liquid helium to 4K above absolute zero. According to the 846th, this ensures the smoothest ride possible.
"It's a few months of preparation," said 2nd Lt. Natalia Ocampo, the rocket sled project manager for the launch. "We all work really hard to get the procedures very clear and step by step. Then everything seems to go very smooth."
The 846th's engineers have already started looking for ways to go even faster by redesigning the sled and looking at lightweight materials. The squad's motto is “Go Mach 10”. Mach 10 involves hypersonic speeds of up to 7680mph.
As well as military applications, the engineering can be used in mass transit systems. There are already three high-speed maglev rail systems in Japan, China and South Korea, with more in development. The fastest commercial train currently in operation, in Japan, has a top speed of 375mph.
Elon Musk's Hyperloop proposal envisions aluminium pods transporting passengers and freight between cities or countries through frictionless tubes at up to 760mph, not much faster than the speeds reached by the 846th. Currently, teams are designing the pods for the Hyperloop, some of which – including the Dutch team from the Delft University of Technology - are using maglev.
