Honda has yet to reveal the financial investment dedicated to its rocket development efforts. The company’s newly tested hopper is notably smaller than the prototype boosters employed by SpaceX for vertical landing demonstrations, indicating the need for engineers to expand the design before it can be developed into an effective launch vehicle.
The successful test conducted on Tuesday has positioned Honda among a select group of companies actively engaged in reusable rocket hoppers with aspirations for orbital flight. This elite alliance includes industry giants such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and several emerging Chinese startups. In contrast, European and Japanese space agencies have invested in two reusable rocket hoppers, known as Themis and Callisto, neither of which has yet taken to the skies due to prolonged delays.
The experimental rocket from Honda lifts off from a testing facility located in Taiki, a town in northern Japan.
The initiative for Honda’s rocket project began in 2019, when a group of junior engineers proposed leveraging the company’s extensive experience in combustion and control systems for a launch vehicle. Honda representatives believe that the company can significantly impact daily life by developing capabilities to launch satellites using its own rockets.
In its recent press release, Honda indicated that its rockets could be utilized for deploying Earth observation satellites tasked with monitoring climate change and extreme weather events, as well as satellite constellations designed for wide-area communications. The firm highlighted the critical role of satellite communications in enhancing connectivity for various Honda products, including automobiles and aircraft.
Honda stated, “In this market environment, we have decided to embrace the technological challenge of creating reusable rockets, drawing on technologies that have been developed across our vast portfolio of products and automated driving systems. We believe that reusable rockets will play a vital role in promoting sustainable transportation.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s largest automotive manufacturer, Toyota, is also venturing into the launch sector. Earlier this year, Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese space startup, announced a $44 million investment from Toyota, with plans to collaborate on using Toyota’s automotive manufacturing expertise to establish a factory for mass-producing orbital-class rockets. Although Interstellar has successfully launched several sounding rockets, it has yet to develop an orbital launch vehicle.
The leading Japanese rocket manufacturer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is renowned within the industry but has limited its launches to six space missions per year. Its latest rocket, the H3, was introduced in 2023, although it is designed to be fully expendable.
By entering the rocket development arena, Honda, the second-largest car manufacturer in Japan, is charting a new course. Traditionally, automotive companies have focused on creating vehicles intended for multiple uses, making this leap into single-use space vehicles quite distinctive.
