In a bold move that signals its growing ambitions in the aerospace sector, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., the innovation arm of Honda Motor Co., has successfully carried out a launch and landing test of a prototype reusable rocket. The rocket was sent to nearly 300 meters in altitude but also accomplished a precision landing within just 37 centimeters of its target.
On June 17, 2025, at precisely 16:15, Honda’s experimental rocket took flight from its test facility in Taiki Town, Hokkaido Prefecture, a region now steadily gaining recognition as Japan’s emerging “space town.” The test aimed to evaluate and validate key technologies vital for reusable space vehicles, including flight stability during ascent and descent, and autonomous vertical landing capabilities.
The rocket, measuring 6.3 meters in height, 85 cm in diameter, and weighing 900 kg dry (1,312 kg wet), ascended to a height of 271.4 meters and completed a round-trip flight in just 56.6 seconds, landing with remarkable accuracy. This was the first time Honda successfully landed a rocket post-ascent, a promising indication of its trajectory in the space sector.
Honda described this as part of a broader strategy to develop reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) — a class of rockets designed for multiple flights, offering sustainability and cost-efficiency compared to traditional expendable models.
“A reusable rocket is launched in a vertical position, reaches an altitude of around 100 kilometers, and then lands back on Earth while maintaining a vertical position,” the company explained in its official release.
Honda has been conducting propulsion and hovering tests since 2024 in Taiki Town, where organizations like JAXA, universities, and private enterprises are fostering an integrated aerospace ecosystem. The region’s commitment to space innovation made it a natural setting for Honda’s groundbreaking test.
Safety remained a top priority. Honda implemented several precautionary measures, including the creation of a 1-kilometer restricted safety zone, calculated based on the Cabinet Office guidelines of Japan. The area was strictly controlled with security personnel, signage, and protective protocols. Additionally, the rocket was equipped with a fail-safe system to ensure it remained within a designated flight corridor and behaved predictably in case of deviation or malfunction.
This test is part of Honda’s larger space exploration roadmap, which began publicly in 2021. Driven by a vision to turn dreams into reality and expand human potential, Honda is leveraging its core competencies in combustion engines, robotics, and autonomous technologies to enter the realm of outer space. According to the company:
“Honda has the aim to enable people to transcend the constraints of time, place, or ability and make people’s daily lives more enjoyable.”
The company’s engineers were inspired by a shared vision to build rockets using the same foundational technologies that made Honda a leader in mobility. Their aspiration is not limited to launching rockets but extends to supporting satellite deployments and creating data-driven services compatible with other Honda ventures.
Given the surge in global data consumption and the growing reliance on satellite infrastructure, the demand for satellite launch vehicles is expected to grow exponentially. Honda is positioning itself at this frontier, targeting a suborbital launch capability by 2029.
While the project is still in its fundamental research phase and commercialization hasn’t been decided, the successful launch and landing test mark a significant step in that journey.
