A Japanese aerospace company is developing a suborbital passenger system designed to connect major cities in around an hour, outlining a concept that would take travellers from Tokyo to New York in roughly 60 minutes. The project, described in local reports, proposes rocket-powered point-to-point transport with ticket prices initially set at about ¥100 million (around £430,000).
The company, PD Aerospace, aims to conduct passenger flights later this decade if development proceeds to schedule. Its concept relies on a vertical-takeoff vehicle that ascends to the edge of space before gliding back through the atmosphere to land on a runway. The firm has been working on the technology for more than a decade, combining air-breathing and rocket-based propulsion in a hybrid system.
Suborbital Transport as a Commercial Goal
PD Aerospace says the vehicle is intended to operate as a reusable platform capable of carrying small numbers of passengers on long-distance routes. The climb to suborbital altitude would allow the craft to cover intercontinental distances far more quickly than commercial airliners, using a ballistic trajectory rather than sustained powered flight.
The company plans to begin with high-altitude test flights before moving to full suborbital demonstrations. It has reported progress on propulsion development and is seeking regulatory approvals and investment to support later test phases. Ticketing figures released for early missions are presented as indicative, with prices expected to fall if operations mature and flight rates increase.
Chasing a hypersonic dream
The idea of rocket-based city-to-city transport has been explored by several aerospace companies over the past decade, but none has yet reached commercial service. Technical, economic, and regulatory barriers remain substantial, ranging from reusability targets to passenger safety systems capable of handling the stresses of suborbital ascent and re-entry.
PD Aerospace argues that progress in materials, automation, and hybrid propulsion supports the feasibility of a small-scale service aimed at high-end customers. The firm also positions the concept as a potential testbed for wider space-tourism activity, combining brief microgravity exposure with rapid intercontinental travel.
Japan’s government has encouraged private-sector involvement in spaceflight technologies, including launch services and crewed-flight concepts. The country continues to expand its commercial aerospace base alongside flagship national programmes such as the H3 rocket and planned lunar missions.
PD Aerospace has not provided a firm date for the first passenger flights, though the company maintains that key demonstration milestones could be reached before 2030, subject to investment and regulatory progress.
Published by Ben Ward
Ben Ward studied English Literature and Language at the University of Bristol. With a background in analytical news writing and an interest in space exploration, his work focuses on the connection between science, history, and language. He has a measured approach to space journalism, always prioritising accuracy. He is interested in how the decisions of private industry, government agencies, and scientific institutions shape the future of space exploration. When not writing, He closely follows updates in Geopolitics, Aerospace and Planetary science, considering how humanity’s presence on earth has an influence far beyond it.
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