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by bluGill 1583 days ago
Because airplanes are slow. In a vacuum (or in space!) you can go a lot faster without using a lot of energy. NYC to London in 2 hours including stops (Note that this assumes you cross from Alaska to Russia if you can cross the Atlantic instead it would be faster).

The expense is what kills it. The other problems are solvable with money, but there is no way getting around all the material needed to build it.