Adventure seekers who aim to someday check “space” off their list may have the opportunity to do so soon. Japan is quite literally floating the idea of space tourism. Noiz Architects are currently in the works of transforming Japan’s Tokyo Bay into a “Spaceport City” complete with an option for a day trip to space.
Take a Day Trip to Space From Tokyo Bay’s Upcoming Spaceport City
Noiz Architects have designed the idea in collaboration with Dentsu, Canaria and nonprofit help from Japan. The massive spaceport would rise from an island of Tokyo Bay and sprawl the entire area complete with a variety of shops, an art museum, 4D IMAX cinema, gym and more. The complex will also include a vast network of high-tech public transport such as autonomous trains and a complex bridge network for electric cars. Their main focus, however, will be space travel.
Fly Above Earth in Just Two Hours
The best part of Tokyo Bay’s upcoming Spaceport City is, of course, the idea of space itself. The futuristic city will offer guests the option to take a day trip into space. The rockets which are in the works right now wouldn’t take off how we imagine, though. Instead of bursting into the air vertically, the spaceport would operate via suborbital spaceships that take off in the same manner as aeroplanes. The company says its spaceships will fly at least 50 miles above Earth. Passengers will also have the opportunity to leave their seats to experience zero gravity. The most impressive part is the journey is planned to take just two hours.
Tourists looking to check space off their passport will have a bit of work to do, however. While the journey itself is just two hours, guests will need to complete three days of training prior to taking off. Guests will also have access to the onsite medical facilities for testing required to board. You can also expect to pay a pretty penny. While the company has run a few test flights with a crew, they haven’t provided the service to passengers just yet. However, they have their first flight fully booked to transport over 600 passengers at $250,000 a seat. The flight has yet to be scheduled but is set to launch as early as next year.
Spaceport City isn’t exactly the first of its kind, either. In Houston, Texas, the home of NASA’s astronaut program, they have similar plans to transform Ellington Airport into a commercial spaceport. The rise in space-oriented travel could be huge for the world of transportation. Hidetaka Aoki, director of Spaceport Japan, says that urban spaceports could bring about “point-to-point spaceflight.” This means flights could be available between Hong Kong and Los Angeles lasting just one hour.
