A Japanese travel agency said Tuesday it plans to launch a high-speed space transport service in the 2030s that could connect Tokyo and U.S. cities such as New York in just 60 minutes.
Nippon Travel Agency Co. announced the project in partnership with Innovative Space Carrier Inc., a Tokyo-based startup developing reusable rockets. A round trip would cost about 100 million yen ($657,000) per passenger. The companies said the transport vehicle would launch from an offshore site and be capable of linking any two points on Earth within an hour.
“We hope this business will be a new starting point to connect space travel and tourism,” Nippon Travel President Keigo Yoshida said at a news conference. Advance applications for the program will open in fiscal 2026.
The initiative will roll out in stages, beginning with space-themed tours and food-tasting experiences tied to the project, followed by plans to offer orbital stays in the 2040s. Nippon Travel will handle product design and marketing, while Innovative Space Carrier will focus on reducing costs by increasing each rocket’s flight life span, company president Kojiro Hatada said.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Japanese Travel Agency Plans Tokyo–New York Flights via Outer Space
