Honda's reusable rocket blasts off in northern Japan.
Honda is well-known in industry circles as one of the few carmakers who produces a multitude of non-car products including motorcycles, ATVs, power equipment such as generators, lawnmowers, outboard motors and snowploughs, the HondaJet and robots such as ASIMO. Now it’s entered rocket research and development in earnest.
Japan’s second-biggest carmaker has just successfully conducted a launch and landing test of its experimental reusable rocket in northern Japan. And given that Elon Musk’s SpaceX has just recorded its fourth failed rocket launch in a row, they will no doubt be paying attention to how Honda approaches its launches.
Honda's rocket climbed to 890 feet before landing just 15 inches away from where it took off.
At Honda’s test facility in Taiki Town located in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern-most island, the company launched a reusable rocket that flew for almost a minute to an altitude of 890 feet and then landed with pinpoint accuracy just 15 inches from where it took off, according to Honda.
The rocket weighs 2800 lbs which equates to a small car.
Honda is creating its own ‘space town’
Developed in-house by Honda R&D Company, the rocket—which weighs 2800 lbs or around the same weight as a small car—shot up vertically, blasting off using its four legs from the company’s test site in the northern island of Hokkaido.
Honda says its Hokkaido facility “has been developing itself as a ‘space town’ through the joint efforts of public and private sectors,” including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The 21-foot high rocket, ascended for 57 seconds before landing around 15 inches from the target touchdown point using its four retractable legs that also aided in its take-off.
Honda first revealed its goal to go into space in late 2021. But while the carmaker has been tight-lipped about its R&D progress, it is using existing technology from other areas, such as automated driving systems, to assist in the development of its first reusable rocket.
The company says that the reason for developing its own launch system is the need for more satellites that will potentially benefit its other businesses.
According to Honda, its rocket research is still in its infancy, and no decisions have yet been made on potential commercialization of these rocket technologies. The company has the ambitious goal to enable a suborbital launch by 2029 but success here will require significant testing and perhaps a few failures.
A suborbital flight – upwards of 62 miles above sea level – would be a significant achievement for Honda, even though that is not far enough to put a satellite into orbit. It will be interesting to see if Honda goes all the way, and ends up competing with other private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin that are capable of conducting orbital flights.