Frequently Asked Questions
What is BALROG?
BALROG is a company that is poised to replace jet travel.
What does BALROG stand for?
BALROG is a name, not an acronym. He’s named in honor of a mythical underground creature from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional worlds. Ours is a subterranean creature with vast powers, but kind and adorable. He can make his own paths across oceans and continents. And when he’s done making his underground trails, we will use his awesome capabilities to carry passengers with untold speed and convenience to their destination.
How will BALROG be able to replace jet aircraft?
BALROG is much faster, and much more convenient and efficient.
How will it work?
We’re using hypersonic subterranean magnetic flight in vacuum tunnels. That’s almost like an underground rocket ship with no pollution.
How much will a ticket cost?
Ticket prices will be competitive with current airfares but you’ll arrive much sooner.
How will BALROG reduce carbon emissions?
Passengers will drink 75% fewer carbonated beverages because they’ll have less time to wonder if we’re there yet. Also, BALROG will use almost 90% less energy, and use clean energy sources.
How can BALROG use so much less energy?
BALROG replaces inefficient wings and jet engines with magnets and electromagnets. By removing nearly all the air, we reduce the energy wasted overcoming air friction.
What will the passengers breathe if BALROG is in a vacuum?
Unlike in an airplane, the passengers won’t breathe engine bleed air. Each ship will carry their own supply of fresh air, similar to spacecraft or submarines.
How can you build a series of tubes to travel through?
Patent-pending laser assisted tunnel boring.
Where can BALROG go?
Anywhere he wants to go. No place on Earth is out of reach, but some may take longer. Clusters of major cities will be the first to be able to experience BALROG. Remote volcanic islands like Hawaii will be among the last to be added to the network.
How fast can BALROG go?
TBD. For most routes the limitation will be the G forces passengers find comfortable. People who aren’t astronauts or fighter pilots would not enjoy rocket launch forces. For New York to London the speed will gently build to about Mach 5 (around a mile a second). The trip time will be about 90 minutes.
Will BALROG be safe to ride?
Most dragons are actually quite friendly. BALROG is fundamentally designed to be safe and reliable. We will exceed the standards for commercial jets. We have redundancies, safety margins, and ongoing checks to ensure your safety.
Aren’t earthquakes dangerous?
Surprisingly, they’re less dangerous underground! Houses and buildings and even soil sway and amplify the motion and destructive power of tremors. Because a tunnel and the bedrock move together, underground structures like tunnels and mines are safer in earthquakes. Additional passive and active
measures will enhance passenger safety. Tunnels crossing faults like the San Andreas are designed with their future motion in mind so service can continue uninterrupted.
Why is your logo so cute?
BALROG can’t help himself.
How is BALROG different from Hyperloop?
Hyperloop is designed as an above-ground transportation system for short-to-medium distances. It could replace cars, buses, and trains. BALROG is designed to cross oceans and continents. BALROG is meant to replace aircraft for long-distance travel.
How is BALROG different from The Boring Company?
The Boring Company is pursuing evolution of mature pressure shield TBM technology for near-surface tunneling in urban alluvium. The Boring Company is using rubber-tired battery electric vehicles for short-distance urban transport. The Boring Company is using untested approaches to passenger safety. BALROG is deploying a new generation of TBMs using a completely new technology for long-distance boring in hard rock. BALROG flies fifty times faster. BALROG is using globally-proven tunnel safety methods.
How will BALROG avoid sharks when travelling under oceans?
Machine learning. And thousands of feet of basalt rock.
Will BALROG have large, airy windows to let natural light in?
No, we don’t have glass windows. We don’t want to the sharks to be able to see in.
Will tunnels get wet under the ocean?
No. The tunnels will be strong and waterproof. Some water will need to be pumped out of the surrounding rock to prevent the potential for leaks.
What happens if BALROG breaks down under the middle of the ocean?
While extremely unlikely, we are prepared: all other craft travelling in the same tunnel will be rerouted. Breathing air will be provided. Passengers will exit the craft and walk along an evacuation pathway to the nearest safe haven. A replacement craft will pick up the passengers and bring them to their destination.
Will it be hot inside the tunnel?
Not while travelling. In the unlikely event of a mid-tunnel emergency, the tunnels will have noticeable geothermal heat. Tunnels are being routed to avoid areas with dangerous levels of heat. The havens will be air conditioned and stocked with emergency supplies.
How much carbon will BALROG’s construction produce?
We expect it to take about two years to achieve break even for carbon emissions. Most of the carbon will be released by making concrete to line the tunnels. We are investigating lower carbon forms of concrete but we can only use them when we’re confident it won’t impact our passengers’ safety.
How will the waste rocks be used?
Some of them will be reused as aggregate to make concrete to build the tunnel walls. Some tunnels will be through basalt rock; others in granite. Both of these types of stones are widely used in the construction industry for structural and decorative purposes.
What will happen to airports when they’re no longer needed?
The downtown airports can be reintegrated into the fabric of the city – for parkland, housing, office space and shopping. Runways built over fill could be restored as wetlands. More remote airports could be redeveloped into commercial or industrial parks or re-purposed for motor sports.