A few years ago if someone asked you to imagine spaceships as a mode of everyday transport, you would dismiss the idea, right? But the Japanese government, along with private companies, is all set to develop an intercontinental passenger spaceship network that will enable people to fly to the major cities of the world in two hours or even lesser. On May 12, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology unveiled the plan, which aims to achieve its goals by the early 2040s.

Not just that, the ministry also predicts that the market for spaceships by 2040 could touch roughly 5 trillion yen (roughly $46 billion; Rs. 33,472 crore), reported The Mainichi. The report added that the ministry has prepared a draft roadmap for its ambitious passenger spaceship programme.