The Ministry of Education, Science and Technologies of Japan has announced a roadmap for the development of intercontinental passenger transportation by spacecraft, which will reduce the flight time between the largest cities of the world to two hours. It is reported by the Russian newspaper with reference to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi.
According to the plan, to create a new vehicle is assumed based on the H3 cosmic layout missile, which is now being developed under the patronage of the Japanese Aerospace Research Agency (JAXA). The first flight H3 in orbit is scheduled for the end of the current – the beginning of the next year.
During the modernization of the new rocket, the Japanese side expects to do H3 multi-way, which will reduce in the 2030s by a half time of launch. Now one launch costs 5 billion yen (about 46 million dollars). Tests of a multi-sized rocket together with Germany and France may begin already in 2022. So far, the Japanese developers are focused on the Falcon 9 rocket accelerator, which can be used about ten times.
Then Japanese private companies will create reusable passenger spacecraft to move between continents. Ships will be two types: some will be able to take off and land on the runway, like aircraft, others will take off and land up vertically as Starship Ilona Mask.