Honda pulls off surprise reusable rocket test launch – DW – 06/18/2025
www.dw.com
Honda says growing expectations of a "data system in outer space" are going to increase the demand for rockets to launch satellites. So, the Japanese automaker quietly built one and tested it successfully.

Honda says growing expectations of a “data system in outer space” are going to increase the demand for rockets to launch satellites. So, the Japanese automaker quietly built one and tested it successfully.

Japan’s second-largest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested an experimental reusable space rocket on the nothern Japanese island of Hokkaido, the company said in a surprise announcement.

“The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters (1,000 feet),” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The carmaker aims to achieve suborbital space flight in 2029. In 2021, Honda said it was studying space technologies such as reusable rockets but made no announcements prior to Tuesday’s test

  • takenaps@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    10 days ago

    For what it’s worth; the technology developed for space travel over the years has led to the development of many common everyday items. I agree that space travel itself might not be the best investment but I can appreciate how it pushes the envelope for new tech.

    Here’s infograph from nasa website but things like scratch proof lenses, hand vacuums, jaws of life, LED lights, etc…

    https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/20-inventions-we-wouldnt-have-without-space-travel/

    • Laser@feddit.orgEnglish
      2·
      10 days ago

      My argument wasn’t against space exploration in general, but rather the democratization of space travel as a commodity; as in as in we have already democratized it so far that the trophy wifes of billionaires can travel to space. I’m unsure of scientific advances that has brought and rather think this made someone money