Japan is setting its sights on redefining global travel. One of the country’s largest travel agencies, Nippon Travel Agency (NTA), has announced a bold plan to offer suborbital passenger flights in the 2030s. The goal: to connect any two points on Earth in just one hour. This means that a trip from Tokyo to New York, which currently takes around 13 hours, could soon be completed in only 60 minutes.
The project is being developed in collaboration with Innovative Space Carrier (ISC), a Japanese aerospace company specializing in reusable rocket systems. The flights will be operated using the ASCA suborbital spaceplane, which will take off from and land on floating ocean platforms. Passengers will first be transported to these sea-based launch sites, from where the vehicle will ascend to the edge of space, glide across the upper atmosphere, and land on another platform across the world.
But such a journey comes with a hefty price tag. A round-trip ticket is expected to cost around 100 million yen, or roughly $652,000. Despite this, NTA emphasizes that the project is not merely a luxury space tourism venture. The broader vision is to redefine intercontinental passenger transport and revolutionize logistics for urgent deliveries, especially high-priority cargo that demands extreme speed. China and other nations are reportedly exploring similar ideas for next-generation supply chains and e-commerce infrastructure.
However, the path forward is filled with challenges. Engineers must ensure the system can withstand immense aerodynamic forces, maintain top-tier safety standards, and operate efficiently enough to be economically viable. Energy management, cost control, and reliability will determine whether this futuristic concept can evolve into a practical reality.
If successful, Japan’s suborbital travel initiative could mark a turning point in aviation history — one where crossing continents might take minutes instead of hours, transforming both global mobility and human perception of distance itself.