Honda conducts surprise reusable rocket test with view to space flight by 2029

Tokyo — 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 space flight.

Honda R&D, the research arm of Japan’s second-biggest carmaker, successfully landed its 6.3m experimental reusable launch vehicle after reaching an altitude of 271m at its test facility in northern Japan’s space town Taiki, according to the company.

While “no decisions have been made regarding commercialisation of these rocket technologies, Honda will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realising technological capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029”, it said in a statement.

Honda in 2021 said it was studying space technologies such as reusable rockets, but it has not previously announced the details of the launch test. A suborbital launch may touch the verge of outer space but does not enter orbit.

Studying launch vehicles “has the potential to contribute more to people’s daily lives by launching satellites with its own rockets, that could lead to various services that are also compatible with other Honda business”, the company added.

Reusable launch vehicles have been the driver of emerging commercial space missions over the past decade, led by SpaceX’s Falcon 9, while its US rivals including Blue Origin and companies in China and Europe also have reusable rocket plans.

Tokyo-based start-up Innovative Space Carrier last month said it would test-launch a prototype reusable rocket in the US in December using an American engine.

Honda’s rival Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker by sales, earlier this year announced an investment by its research arm in Taiki-based rocket maker Interstellar Technologies to support mass production of launch vehicles.

Japan’s government has established a multibillion-dollar space venture fund to subsidise private rockets, satellites and other missions, targeting to double its space industry’s size to ¥8-trillion ($55.20bn) by the early 2030s.

Reuters