Tokyo — Japan's second-biggest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested an experimental reusable rocket, the institution says, arsenic it seeks to grow into the abstraction sector.
Honda, which hopes to make the tech prowess for a suborbital motorboat by 2029, conducted a trial formation of its rocket connected the bluish Japanese land of Hokkaido.
"The trial was completed successfully, the archetypal clip Honda landed a rocket aft reaching an altitude of astir 300 meters (about 984 feet)," the institution said successful a connection connected Tuesday.
Honda's experimental reusable rocket is seen during what the institution said was its palmy trial motorboat from the bluish Japanese land of Hokkaido connected on June 17, 2025.
Honda R&D Co. Ltd.
The prototype device, astir six meters (20 feet) tall, landed lone 37 centimeters (a small much than a foot) from its designated landing spot aft the one-minute flight.
Demand for outer motorboat rockets is expected to summation successful coming years arsenic expectations turn for "a information strategy successful outer space," the Honda connection said.
"Honda has chosen to instrumentality connected the technological situation of processing reusable rockets by utilizing Honda technologies amassed successful the improvement of assorted products and automated driving systems," it said.
In the future, the rockets could beryllium utilized to acceptable up satellite-based connection tools and show biology conditions specified arsenic planetary warming, Honda added.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is known for its usage of reusable rockets -- a fast-growing tract with assorted companies worldwide racing to make their ain models.
Japan's abstraction agency, JAXA, is besides connected a ngo to go a large subordinate for outer launches, including with its H3 rocket, which isn't reusable.
Meanwhile, Japanese startups are vying to participate the engaged field, including Space One, which successful December suffered its 2nd failed rocket launch.
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