Taiki, Japan: Japanese automaker Honda has successfully conducted the first launch and landing of its prototype reusable rocket, marking a major milestone in its space ambitions, according to a report by space.com.
The 56-second vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) test was carried out at Honda’s facility in Taiki, Hokkaido — often dubbed Japan’s “space town.” The rocket reached an altitude of 271.4 meters before landing with pinpoint accuracy, just 37 centimeters from its target, the company confirmed.
The compact experimental rocket, built by Honda R&D, measures 6.3 meters in length, with a dry weight of 900 kg. Honda stated that it met all key test objectives and gathered valuable flight data during both ascent and descent phases.
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While still in the fundamental research phase, Honda says it aims to achieve suborbital launch capability by 2029. The project’s commercial trajectory remains undecided.
Honda first unveiled its space initiative in 2021, with a successful engine combustion test. The company is also collaborating with JAXA, Japan’s space agency, to develop technologies for future human space exploration.
With this test, Honda joins Japan’s growing space race, alongside startups like Interstellar Technologies, Space One, and Innovative Space Carrier (ISC) — all aiming to carve a niche in the country’s emerging private space sector.
