A test of a prototype reusable rocket by Japanese carmaker Honda, the world's second-largest automaker, has been successful, Japanese media reported. The company wants to develop technology to make suborbital flights possible by 2029.
The rocket, measuring about six meters, reached an altitude of almost 300 meters before landing in a controlled manner just 37 cm from the designated point. The minute-long flight was the first successful landing of a Honda rocket after reaching a significant altitude, the company said Tuesday.
The company, which announced space research in 2021, aims to develop technology that will enable suborbital flights by 2029, leveraging its experience in the automotive and autonomous systems industries.
Suborbital flight is a type of spaceflight in which a vehicle reaches the edge of space but does not enter orbit and complete a complete orbit around the Earth.
The company emphasizes the growing demand for rockets to launch satellites, which in the future could be used for communication and environmental monitoring, such as climate change.
The development of reusable systems is crucial to reducing costs and increasing the frequency of space missions. As the AFP agency noted, the market for reusable rockets is growing rapidly, and the leader in this field is, among others, the American company SpaceX Elon Musk.
Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)
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