Editing Human spaceflight (section)

=== Abandoned programs of other nations ===
The [[European Space Agency]] began development of the [[Hermes (spacecraft)|Hermes]] shuttle [[spaceplane]] in 1987, to be launched on the [[Ariane 5]] expendable launch vehicle. It was intended to dock with the European [[Columbus Man-Tended Free Flyer|Columbus space station]]. The projects were canceled in 1992 when it became clear that neither cost nor performance goals could be achieved. No Hermes shuttles were ever built. The Columbus space station was reconfigured as the [[Columbus (ISS module)|European module of the same name]] on the International Space Station.<ref>{{cite web |title=Columbus laboratory |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Columbus/Columbus_laboratory |website=www.esa.int |publisher=The European Space Agency |access-date=26 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Japan ([[NASDA]]) began the development of the [[HOPE-X]] experimental shuttle spaceplane in the 1980s, to be launched on its [[H-IIA]] expendable launch vehicle. A string of failures in 1998 led to funding reductions, and the project's cancellation in 2003 in favor of participation in the International Space Station program through the [[Kibo (ISS module)|''Kibō'' Japanese Experiment Module]] and [[H-II Transfer Vehicle]] cargo spacecraft. As an alternative to HOPE-X, NASDA in 2001 proposed the [[Fuji (spacecraft)|Fuji crew capsule]] for independent or ISS flights, but the project did not proceed to the contracting stage.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

From 1993 to 1997, the {{Interlanguage link|Japanese Rocket Society|ja|3=日本ロケット協会|vertical-align=sup}}, [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], and [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] worked on the proposed [[Kankoh-maru]] [[vertical takeoff and landing|vertical-takeoff-and-landing]] [[single-stage-to-orbit]] reusable launch system. In 2005, this system was proposed for space tourism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazin |first=Sia |date=2022-12-02 |title=Kankoh-maru Japan's Space Tourism Single Stage Reusable Rocket |url=https://siamagazin.com/kankoh-maru-japans-space-tourism-single-stage-reusable-rocket/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Sia Magazin |language=en-US}}</ref>

According to a press release from the [[Iraqi News Agency]] dated 5 December 1989, there was only one test of the [[Al-Abid]] space launcher, which [[Iraq]] intended to use to develop its own crewed space facilities by the end of the century. These plans were put to an end by the [[Gulf War]] of 1991 and the economic hardships that followed.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}