Japan to launch 60-minute space flights linking Tokyo, major US cities

Japanese Nippon Travel Agency has unveiled plans to launch a rocket flight service through outer space.

The service is set to begin in the 2030s and will allow passengers to travel between Tokyo and major US cities, such as New York, in just 60 minutes, Caliber.Az reports, citing South China Morning Post (SCMP).

A round-trip ticket will cost 100 million yen (approximately $657,000). The service will be offered in partnership with a startup specialising in reusable rocket systems.

At a press conference in Tokyo, Nippon Travel president Keigo Yoshida said the initiative would mark “a new starting point connecting space travel and tourism.”

Pre-orders for the service are expected to open in the 2026 fiscal year.

The project will be implemented in stages: in 2026, the company will launch programs featuring space-themed food tastings and tours of space-related facilities, while orbital stay services are planned to begin by the 2040s.

Kojiro Hatada, president of the Tokyo-based startup Innovative Space Carrier, noted that costs could gradually decrease as the number of flights per rocket increases.

By Jeyhun Aghazada