Automaker Enters Space Industry: Honda Successfully Tests Reusable Rocket Landing | WPN World People News

In a bid to enter the space industry and achieve suborbital launch capability by 2029, Honda Motor Co. has conducted a rocket test flight in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, successfully testing an experimental reusable rocket.

According to a statement released by Honda, the test was completed successfully, marking the company’s first time launching a rocket to nearly 300 meters in altitude and then landing it safely. The prototype rocket, approximately six meters tall, flew for about one minute before landing just 37 centimeters off the intended landing point.

Honda developed the reusable rocket by leveraging the technologies it has accumulated through the development of various products and autonomous driving systems. The company explained that with growing expectations for space-based data systems, the demand for launch vehicles to carry satellites is also expected to rise.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets, has led many companies worldwide to develop their own models. Honda stated that its rockets could be used in the future for satellite communications and for monitoring environmental conditions related to global warming. This marks a significant milestone in Honda’s pursuit of achieving suborbital spaceflight capabilities by 2029.