Streets to space: Auto giant Honda stuns world with reusable rocket launch in Japan

Interesting Engineering ^ | June 17, 2025 | Mrigakshi Dixit

[Red Badger]

Yes, I had one.............

[telescope115]

honda commercial “Things just work”

[wally_bert]

The Element was good enough for James May.

https://youtu.be/msYFxo0kP34?si=Zum5x0hIMjmsPWPN

[Colorado Doug]

There is another company reaching similar heights. https://estesrockets.com/collections/rockets

[Organic Panic]

One of my funnest projects was working on the Honda Jet. I wish I could have worked on this project.

[Magnum44]

[ifinnegan]

Thanks for the tip.

[Skywise]

Thanks - an I right though that this would be the 3rd company to do this? I don’t think the Chinese have done it yet though I know they’re working on their own.

[noiseman]

My Big Bertha did too!...................

Ah, the Big Bertha. “Slow, realistic lift-off”, or at least that was what Estes advertised. It never seemed to me like it was much slower than any of the others. At least, it wasn’t as “realistic” as my adolescent imagination was expecting.

My favorite was my Cherokee D. I flew that one many times, including once when a last second wind gust tipped the launchpad toward the neighbor’s roof just as it ignited. That was a nail-biter.

[rktman]

Honda eh.....

[The Louiswu]

Every science fiction novel from the 40s and 50s predicted this type of rocket system, glad it’s finally here.

[The Louiswu]

[The Antiyuppie]

“My Big Bertha did too!...................“

My big Berha flew many missions. Occasionally, the parachute didn’t work. It became a beater, didn’t look that good up close. It had so much glue on and in it it took a C6 to get it to fly 500 feet up!

[Red Badger]

https://estesrockets.com/

[BBB333]

I LOVED my Element — I just needed more room and a better AWD system.

I would routinely get stuck in snow with it’s 6” under car clearance...With the Ridgeline the middle and rear differentials can be locked.

I saw an Element exiting a car wash yesterday, it was silver, and it looked BERY nice!

Best to you!

[real saxophonist]

My Element also has a sticker similar to this:

I wouldn't mind having a Ridgeline.

[Joe Boucher]

Everything Honda does, they do very well

[SunkenCiv]

Honda conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket on June 17, 2025. Credit: Honda R&D Co., Ltd., a research and development subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | edited by Space.com's [Steve Spaleta](https://x.com/stevespaleta) 

Honda launches and lands experimental reusable rocket in test | 2:38 
VideoFromSpace | 2.02M subscribers | 381,502 views | June 18, 2025