It’s not (yet) SpaceX, but it’s a good start. Honda announced that he had completed a launch and landing test on June 17th on June 17th her very first reusable rocket prototype. The test took place in the city of Taiki, on the island of Hokkaido, a well -known place in Japan for aerospace experiments.
A landing at 37 centimeters
The test vehicle was 6.3 meters long for 85 cm in diameter. Powered at more than 270 meters above sea level, the rocket then returned to the ground, with a controlled landing only 37 cm from the planned point. The entire flight lasted 56.6 seconds. A nice score for a first.
The objective of this experience was clear: to demonstrate key technologies for the reuse of launchers, in particular the stability of the flight on the rise and the descent, as well as the accuracy of the landing. The whole thing took place in strict safety conditions, with an exclusion zone of one kilometer around the launch site.
This test is part of a wider project started in 2021. That year, Honda announced that he wanted to develop space technologies based on her know-how in combustion, robotics and control systems. A division dedicated to space was even created at the end of 2024 within American Honda, in order to strengthen cooperation with sector companies in the United States.
Since then, the brand has been interested in several sections of the space industry. It notably works on a hydrogen production system by electrolysis for the international space station, and has signed an agreement with the astroscale company to develop satellite supply solutions in orbit.
Officially, the development of rockets remains at this stage a basic research activity. Honda, however, targets a suborbital flight capacity by 2029. “ We believe that research on rockets is a promising area that takes advantage of our technological skills “Said Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of the group.
Honda is not alone on the launch pad. Toyota recently invested in Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese start-up in the sector, also based in Taiki. Japan, for its part, wants to double the size of its space industry by the early 2030s to reach 8,000 billion yen (around 55 billion euros).
With this new stars race, car manufacturers see in space a natural extension of their skills in automation, propulsion and robotics. For Honda, it is also a way of diversifying its long -term activities while contributing to concrete uses, such as the launch of satellites or the management of space data. In short, the dream brand! Starting little.
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