Daddy Long Legs Train, Omnidirectional Orbs And The Return Of Supersonic Flight In This Week's Beyond Cars Roundup

A lot of pretty strange means of getting around have been invented over the years, with things like the steam-powered car, the hoverboard and amphibious bus all once promising to be the future of transport. They could all be beaten to the title of strangest means of getting from A to B by this elevated railway, however, as it featured a high-riding carriage, lifeboats and could only be piloted by a qualified captain. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Motorcycles are pretty rad, but there are some issues with them, like the fact that they can only turn corners by leaning your meaty flesh sack from side to side, and they can’t easily go backward or side-to-side. No, wheels are over. It’s time for all-electric belt-driven self-balancing omnidirectional orbs. This is the future of riding, and one day we’ll all be riding around on two big balls. If you could never fall over, quickly zip around any obstacle in the road, and look this future-cool doing it, wouldn’t you? - Bradley Brownell Read More

Elon Musk-backed SpaceX was forced to abort a launch just 11 seconds before liftoff after a plane was believed to have strayed into the airspace above the launch site. The Falcon 9 launch on Sunday morning was called off with just seconds to spare while officials waited for the skies above the California launch site to clear. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Boom Supersonic is expected to break the sound barrier with its XB-1 demonstrator next week. The private test plane is a one-third-scale presentation of the startup’s planned Overture airliner. American Airlines and United Airlines have already placed orders for the Overture, so a successful test flight next week would be a monumental step toward the return of supersonic commercial flights. - Ryan Erik King Read More

The crash of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 killed 179 people on December 29 when the aircraft slid down the runway at the Muan International Airport and slammed into a concrete embankment. There were only two survivors, the flight attendants seated in the rear galley. The ongoing investigation has raised even more questions about why the crash landing happened, and the tragic events have rattled South Korean society to its core. - Ryan Erik King Read More

With today’s inauguration, President Donald Trump is back in charge of the Artemis program. NASA’s 21st-century moon program began during Trump’s first term but has been plagued with developmental delays. Elon Musk, Trump’s most prominent backer, believes Artemis is an inefficient distraction despite being the CEO of a program contractor. - Ryan Erik King Read More

Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines reopened merger talks last October despite the canary-yellow carrier’s financial struggles. A month later, Spirit filed for bankruptcy. Three U.S. Senators publicly questioned on Wednesday whether both low-cost carriers are using customers’ personal information, such as their ZIP codes, to influence pricing directly. The legislators pondered whether customers see different prices for the same seats on the same flight. - Ryan Erik King Read More

After decades of absolutely awful traffic, New York had the neat idea to charge people money if they wanted to drive into the most crowded parts of Manhattan. You can still take public transportation, walk or ride a bike, but if you insist on driving into lower Manhattan, you have to pay $9. This has, of course, upset New Jersey, which depends on being able to drive into Manhattan for free in order to function. Now the state’s governor is begging President Trump to intervene and stop those mean New Yorkers from incentivizing New Jersey residents to take the train to work, the New York Times reports. - Collin Woodard Read More

America has some incredibly beautiful places where you can run to get away from it all. Spots like Death Valley are bleak but enchanting, and the mountains around the Tetons are stunning. If the thought of America is just too much for you today, though, then this ride through the Scottish highlands could offer the escapism you need. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Getting to grips with growing older can be tough. Some people buy a Corvette to feel young again, some clad themselves in spandex and take cycling far too seriously and others get really, really into coffee. If you’ve discovered that interior design is your passion in later life, then you might be excited to hear about a company that makes home furniture from old plane parts. - Owen Bellwood Read More