Japan and United States to Align Space Launch Reviews and Boost Suborbital Links

Tokyo announced that Japan's National Space Policy Secretariat and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have executed a memorandum of cooperation to align parts of their launch review systems. The pact targets smoother regulations and richer data exchange for rockets taking off from either country's facilities. Takatsugu Ryuzaki, director general of the secretariat, said the goal is to create a flexible framework for the rapidly diversifying space business.

With spaceport projects progressing in Kochi and Oita prefectures, the two sides will draft operator guidelines that specify spaceport requirements. Beyond launch coordination, the allies are exploring suborbital routes that would connect Japanese and American cities at roughly 100 kilometers altitude. A Japanese travel agency has already voiced ambitions to offer a one-hour point-to-point service between Tokyo and cities such as New York in the 2030s.