Honda Successfully Completes Japan’s First Reusable Rocket Landing Test

HOKKAIDO, Jun 19 (News On Japan) - Honda has announced that it successfully completed a landing and takeoff experiment with a small rocket in Taiki Town, located in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region. This achievement marks the first time a Japanese private company has accomplished this feat.

On the afternoon of the 17th, just after 4 p.m., a 6.3-meter-long rocket was launched from a dedicated testing site in Taiki Town. After reaching an altitude of 300 meters, the rocket reversed course and returned to its launch point, resembling a reverse launch sequence.

The flight lasted approximately one minute.

This technology, unlike traditional disposable rockets, is designed for repeated reuse. Notably, the rocket’s attitude control system utilizes technology originally developed for self-driving cars.

Yoshinori Odakiri, CEO of Hokkaido Space Kotan, which is involved in spaceport development in Taiki Town, remarked, "The success of this experiment by Honda is a significant impact and provides a great opportunity to raise awareness of this location, both domestically and internationally."

Following this experiment, Honda plans to pause development of the reusable rocket and focus on developing a rocket capable of reaching space by 2029.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送

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