Japan overtakes China on the left: Honda has launched and landed its first reusable rocket, like Elon Musk’s.

Honda doesn’t just make cars; its latest test proves it: it just launched and landed an experimental reusable rocket . It follows a similar principle to companies like SpaceX with its Falcon 9 or Starship rockets , or Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard and New Glenn .

According to its official statement , Honda successfully completed the landing of this independently developed 6.3-meter-long, 85-centimeter-diameter rocket. For the first time, it reached an altitude of nearly 300 meters and returned to Earth with precision.

According to Honda, this test served to demonstrate “key technologies essential” for reusing rockets, such as flight stability during ascent and descent , and its landing capability. The test performed as expected: it ascended to 271.4 meters and landed 37 centimeters from the target, in a flight that lasted 56.6 seconds.

The test was conducted at Honda’s Taiki facility in Hiroo Ward, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. According to the company, a “space city” is under construction there, driven by both the public and private sectors, and tests have also been conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), other companies, and universities.

The rocket is just the beginning: Honda wants to develop space technology by 2029.

This test materializes the plans Honda announced in 2021, when it announced its intention to develop space technology to create “new value in the space environment .” Among its goals are renewable energy systems, robotic technologies for operating in outer space, and reusable vehicles.

This is where the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) comes in, designed to reach altitudes of approximately 100 kilometers before returning to Earth and landing vertically. Unlike conventional expendable rockets, the RLV can be used multiple times in short periods.

Honda is seeking applications for these types of vehicles in services such as remote sensing of the planet to monitor global warming and extreme weather events. It is also considering their use in the deployment of satellite constellations for communications, which they consider essential for mobility product functions.

Still in early stages, but with sights set on first suborbital flight

The company clarifies that its rocket research is still in its early stages, and no decisions have yet been made regarding commercialization . However, it sets clear goals.

They anticipate an increase in the use of space data via satellites, which will increase the demand for rocket launches. In the long term, Honda also foresees the use of these vehicles in sustainable transportation schemes , integrated with automated driving technologies.

For now, Honda will continue its research with the goal of conducting a suborbital launch by 2029. This type of flight involves reaching high altitudes without fully orbiting the Earth, but rather partially entering outer space .