US EditionHonda Conducts Surprise Reusable Rocket Test, Aims Spaceflight by 2029
- On June 17, 2025, Honda conducted a successful launch and safe landing of a 6.3-meter reusable rocket at its Taiki test facility in northern Japan.
- Honda began developing this project in 2019 following a proposal by younger engineers to apply its automotive technologies to reusable rockets.
- The rocket climbed to a height of 271.4 meters, touched down just 37 centimeters from its intended target, and successfully showcased essential reusability features such as stable ascent and descent control.
- The total flight lasted 56.6 seconds, and Honda stated it aims to achieve suborbital spaceflight by 2029 using its developed rocket technologies.
- Honda plans to continue R&D for reusable rockets, contributing to satellite launches for Earth observation and communications, reflecting growing interest in Japan’s expanding space industry.
68 Articles
68 Articles
Japan’s Honda joins commercial space race
Honda unexpectedly entered the commercial space race, launching and landing its first reusable rocket. The 20-foot craft reached 900 feet in the air before landing precisely on its touchdown point in northern Japan. The Japanese car manufacturer has been involved in spaceflight-related equipment since 2021, including fuel cells and electrolysis systems for use in space, but kept its rocket plans “relatively quiet,” Gizmodo reported, making the l…
Honda says it successfully launched and landed reusable rocket
Honda successfully launched and landed its experimental reusable rocket at its facility in Japan, the company said in a surprise announcement on Tuesday. The rocket reached an altitude of 271.4 meters, or roughly 890 feet, and landed within 37 centimeters, or roughly 15 inches, of the target touchdown point, the company said. The duration of…
Honda conducts surprise reusable rocket test, aims spaceflight by 2029
Honda succeeded in a launch and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket on Tuesday, the Japanese company said in a surprise announcement, marking a milestone towards its 2029 goal of achieving a suborbital spaceflight.
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