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Streets to space: Auto giant Honda stuns world with reusable rocket launch in Japan
Interesting Engineering ^ | June 17, 2025 | Mrigakshi Dixit

Posted on 06/18/2025 11:35:55 AM PDT by Red Badger

The prototype vehicle soared to an altitude of nearly 889 feet (271 meters) at Honda’s facility in Taiki Town, Japan, on June 17.

Launch and landing test of experimental reusable rocket. - Honda

Honda’s name has long been tied to innovation on the ground, and it is famous for its powerful engines and automobiles.

However, the company is now shifting gears, setting its sights on the competitive space domain. The Tokyo-based company has already made a bold move.

In a surprising announcement yesterday, Honda R&D Co., Ltd. – the research arm of Honda Motor Company – revealed it successfully launched and landed its experimental reusable rocket.

“This test marked the first launch and landing test conducted by Honda with an aim to demonstrate key technologies essential for rocket reusability, such as flight stability during ascent and descent, as well as landing capability,” the company’s announcement stated.

Test being conducted in Taiki Town in Hokkaido, Japan. Honda

Experimental rocket test

Honda developed the experimental reusable rocket on its own. The spacecraft is 20.6 feet (6.3 meters) in length, 85 centimeters (33.4 inches) in diameter, and has a dry weight of 900 kg (1984 pounds).

The prototype vehicle soared to an altitude of nearly 889 feet (271 meters) at Honda’s facility in Taiki Town, Japan, on June 17.

And then, in a display of precision engineering, it landed with accuracy, within just 37 centimeters of its target. The entire flight lasted a swift 56.6 seconds, providing invaluable data for future development.

So, why is this so significant? Reusability is the holy grail of cost-effective, frequent space travel flights.

This successful test is a massive step towards Honda’s ambitious goal of achieving suborbital spaceflight by 2029. A suborbital launch reaches the edge of space but doesn’t achieve orbit.

Before this, the car maker giant aims to demonstrate mastery over key elements like flight stability during both ascent and descent, and pinpoint landing capability.

“Although Honda rocket research is still in the fundamental research phase, and no decisions have been made regarding commercialization of these rocket technologies,” the press statement noted.

“Honda will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realizing technological capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029.”

Reusable rocket race

This isn’t a sudden leap into the unknown for Honda. The company first hinted at reusable rocket plans in 2021, and late last year, they even established a Space Development Division in the U.S. to foster collaboration.

However, the company had kept its spaceflight developments under wraps for years.

Honda is not the only player in this burgeoning field. Reportedly, Japan’s government is aggressively promoting its space industry, aiming to double its size to over $55 billion by the early 2030s through active subsidies to private companies.

This has ignited a commercial space race, attracting other major automotive players like Toyota, which aims to boost the mass production of launch vehicles.

Over the past decade, reusable launch vehicles, most notably SpaceX’s Falcon 9, have completely transformed commercial space missions.

This trend has also spurred development among U.S. competitors like Blue Origin, and companies in China and Europe are also pursuing reusable rocket designs. China tested a SpaceX-inspired rocket last year in the Gobi Desert.

Earlier, Interesting Engineering reported that a Japanese company also announced the development of a “winged reusable rocket.”

Adding to this global momentum, Tokyo-based startup Innovative Space Carrier recently announced plans to test a prototype reusable rocket in the United States in December, utilizing an American engine.

Meanwhile, Honda’s Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe believes that the company’s rocket research is a meaningful endeavor that “leverages Honda’s technological strengths.”

“Honda has made another step forward in our research on reusable rockets with this successful completion of a launch and landing test,” he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Military/Veterans; Travel
KEYWORDS: blueorigin; honda; rocketlab; spacex
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To: tumblindice

Honest John? It’s been fiddly too many diddly years.
Yeah we American kids were doing this fifty years ago.


21 posted on 06/18/2025 12:03:12 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: Jim W N

My first motorcycle was a 1974 Honda CB350...............


22 posted on 06/18/2025 12:10:09 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

It needs to be electric!

That makes them the third company to be able to do that? Behind SpaceX and whatever Bezos’ space company is?


23 posted on 06/18/2025 12:15:03 PM PDT by Skywise
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To: butlerweave

Indeed


24 posted on 06/18/2025 12:16:20 PM PDT by Vaduz
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To: FLT-bird

Yes, and they know production.

SpaceX is very focused on production of reusable rockets.

It’s good to see other nations entering this field.


25 posted on 06/18/2025 12:20:21 PM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: Red Badger

“My first motorcycle was a 1974 Honda CB350”

My first MC was a Honda 50 Super Sport. The “real” motorcycle version of the Cub. I loved it! Wish i still had it!!


26 posted on 06/18/2025 12:23:18 PM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable, garbage me. Trump is a threat to bureaucracy.)
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To: Afterguard

I was 15 years old!


27 posted on 06/18/2025 12:25:07 PM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable, garbage me. Trump is a threat to bureaucracy.)
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To: Skywise

Blue Origin is Bezos’ baby................


28 posted on 06/18/2025 12:27:15 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

And our vaunted NASA is behind on even this.

Maybe we change NASA to an agency that only contracts out everything for private companies to do, not to NASA specs, just to their own.


29 posted on 06/18/2025 12:27:36 PM PDT by Wuli (uire)
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To: Wuli

Is NASA still reaching out to Muslims?.........................


30 posted on 06/18/2025 12:28:27 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

My Estes rocket was reusable too.


31 posted on 06/18/2025 12:31:11 PM PDT by mgstarr ("I drink, therefore I am" Rene Descartes (1637))
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To: Afterguard

My 2nd bike was a Honda Super Hawk. Then a Suzuki 550, followed by a Honda 750. After a long.hiatus, a BMW R1200RT which i will NEVER SELL.


32 posted on 06/18/2025 12:31:48 PM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable, garbage me. Trump is a threat to bureaucracy.)
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To: Red Badger

I believe that my Big Bertha may still be in low earth orbit....


33 posted on 06/18/2025 12:32:57 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: Red Badger

so that’s what a ricer rocket is, never knew what my mustang friends were referring too.


34 posted on 06/18/2025 12:33:46 PM PDT by VAFreedom (Wuhan Pneumonia-Made by CCP, Copyright Xi Jingping)
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To: Navy Patriot

“The prototype vehicle soared to an altitude of nearly 889 feet!
Wow!”


I agree and am a Honda fan.

I’ve built and successfully sent Estes rockets over 3,000 feet with multiple sagas.

I do understand it’s an engineering test so good job Honda.


First car was a Honda civic, married into another Honda civic

Then came a Pilot and an Element

Then a newer Pilot

I traded the Element for a Ridgeline that I still drive.

Mrs. BBB333 has had several other Hondas and currently a ‘18 CRV

First motorcycle was a Honda Hawk, then a Gyro scooter (after that it was a series of Ducatis.)

Have two Honda mowers, a 4-stroke handle-bar weed whacker and a 32” snowblower with tracks.

Oh, I’m a fan of Red Bull F1 which uses Honda engines...


35 posted on 06/18/2025 12:34:02 PM PDT by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: mowowie

Mine was caught by the wind and disappeared over Denver somewhere...............


36 posted on 06/18/2025 12:36:28 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Afterguard

Never.owned a Honda Car per se, but we’ve had 5 Acuras.


37 posted on 06/18/2025 12:45:01 PM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable, garbage me. Trump is a threat to bureaucracy.)
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To: Red Badger

I live in the crazy state of Mass..I wonder if model rockets are even still legal here...
I wonder if Estes is still around..
I know the small engine toy company went under not that long ago...Tester? I forget..
Remember the .049?


38 posted on 06/18/2025 12:47:19 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: mowowie

Cox?


39 posted on 06/18/2025 12:48:42 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: BBB333
Oh, you traded your Element. I would never trade my Element. I would trade my Accord for another Element.

I have this sticker on it:


40 posted on 06/18/2025 12:49:06 PM PDT by real saxophonist (Hoplophobia will never be in the DSM, because the DSM is written by hoplophobes.)
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