Honda, Japan’s flagship automobile manufacturer, is now presenting SpaceX with new competition in the reusable rocket field, following a recent successful test lasting on June 17 in Hokkaido Prefecture.
The rocket, over six meters in length and weighing close to 3,000 pounds, was launched and reached an altitude of nearly 300 meters before completing a vertical landing without incident.
The test marked the realization of a project Honda first announced in 2021, demonstrating both flight stability and the ability to land within 15 inches of its intended target, showcasing Honda’s capabilities in the core technologies of rocket development.
Taiki Town, Japan’s “Space Town”
The location for the Honda test is no stranger to advanced space technology. Taiki Town hosts the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), as well as universities and private contractors engaged in spaceflight research.
In a country otherwise heavily connected by rail, Taiki is a small town of about 5,000 people that hasn’t had this form of transportation service since 1987. Nonetheless, the town has embraced its role as a testing ground for space technology.
Most of the activity takes place at the Taiki Multi-Purpose Aerospace Park, home to JAXA’s Taiki Aerospace Research Field and the private Hokkaido Spaceport. The spaceport serves as the launch site for Interstellar Technologies, Honda’s competitor in Japan’s private space sector, and a recipient of significant investment from Honda’s rival, Toyota.
Taiki Town is not the only challenge to the U.S.-led private space economy. At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China’s LandSpace has also successfully tested a reusable rocket named the Zhuque-3.
Testing Honda’s Reusable Rocket
Three years after announcing the project, Honda began its first tests in 2024, also in Taiki Town. These initial tests focused on engine combustion and hovering. Although Honda is only the fourth company to successfully test a reusable rocket, its progress is most comparable to where SpaceX was in 2013, leaving it with considerable catch-up work to do. With enormous manufacturing capabilities and tens of thousands of engineers, Honda may be up to the challenge.
Honda emphasized the importance of safety from the earliest tests, which were developed in partnership with authorities and the local community—a commitment that continued through the recent launch.
For the launch test, Honda established a safety perimeter with a one-kilometer radius around the test site, enforced by signs, gates, and security personnel. This perimeter was determined by calculating how far the rocket could conceivably fall in the event of an accident and adding a buffer to cover any potential further impacts from debris, fire, or shockwaves.
Honda Targets Space
Since Honda’s initial 2021 announcement, the company has integrated its core technologies into spaceflight applications, including combustion and control systems, while also developing new areas such as renewable energy and robotics. The company views its space work as a form of vertical integration, ultimately aiming to use its own rockets to launch satellites that will support other areas of Honda’s business, particularly in powering data systems.
Although the test was successful, Honda has not yet made a final decision about commercializing the technology, which remains in the research phase. For now, the company plans to continue development, aiming for a suborbital launch by 2029. Honda says it views space as a key component of sustainable travel in the future.
“We are pleased that Honda has made another step forward in our research on reusable rockets with this successful completion of a launch and landing test,” said Honda Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe. “We believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavor that leverages Honda’s technological strengths.
“Honda will continue to take on new challenges—not only to offer our customers various services and value through our products,” Mibe added, “while addressing environmental and safety issues, but also to continue creating new value which will make people’s time and place more enjoyable.”
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.