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Japan space adventure firm eyes the NMI
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Posted on Mar 11 2006
A Japanese space adventure company is looking at Saipan and Tinian as possible flight stations.
The company, Space Japan, through a Tokyo-based law firm, wrote the Commonwealth Ports Authority last month to explore the possibility of the CNMI as a base.
“Space Japan needs Saipan and the airport of Tinian as an airport for a space experience flight. …Is establishment in the Saipan airport possible? What license is required?” reads a portion of the Feb. 8, 2006 letter from the Hayashi Law Office to CPA.
The law office said Space Japan would mainly conduct sightseeing flights. The company will use a jet aircraft and a Russia MIG.
CPA executive director Lee Cabrera said his office has communicated with the group and is awaiting more details regarding the proposal.
“They want to have adventure flights here using jet fighters, MIG. If it’s added activity, we welcome that. We are curious about that,” said Cabrera.
He said CPA would be inquiring with Federal Aviation Administration on flight protocols.
“It’s something new. We have to look at the regulations. We have to clear with FAA because there are certain flight protocols,” said Cabrera.
In the letter, the law firm said that Space Japan’s business is the same as that of Space Adventures in the U.S.
Founded in 1998, Space Adventures is said to be world’s premier space experiences company. It is a privately owned company put up by a team of aerospace and adventure travel experts whose goal is “to open the space frontier to everyone and promote private space exploration by building a series of successful, privately funded spaceflight missions.”
Its offerings include a variety of space training adventures such as zero gravity and supersonic jet flights, cosmonaut training and actual flights into space for a comprehensive space experience.
Space Adventures said it pioneered space tourism by assisting the world’s first two space tourists, Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth, realize their dream of spaceflight to the International Space Station in 2001 and 2002.
Space Adventures is headquartered in Arlington, Va. with an office in Moscow, Russia and over 50 other authorized agents worldwide.
