See Honda launch a reusable rocket
Car and robot maker Honda has launched and landed a reusable rocket for the first time with plans for a sub-orbital flight in 2029. Videos of the launch, including from the rocket, are below
The R&D division launched the 6.3m high rocket to a height of 300m, landing it back down safely after less than a minute in the air. The rocket is 85cm in diameter and weighs 900 kg, and would have a payload of two to 4kg.
This test marked the first launch and landing test conducted by Honda with an aim to demonstrate key technologies essential for rocket reusability, such as flight stability during ascent and descent, as well as landing capability.
The rocket was launched from the Honda facility in Taiki Town in Hokkaido Prefecture in the north of the country which also hosts a facility for the JAXA Japanese Space Agency. The low altitude test meant only a 1km safety zone was needed, defined by calculating the potential area where the rocket could fall to earth in the event of a thrust cut-off and by adding a sufficient buffer zone.
The experimental rocket was equipped with a safety system to prevent deviation from a pre-defined flight corridor, speed and attitude conditions, ensuring no impact beyond the restricted area, but the sub-orbital flight to 100km planned for 2029 would require a significantly larger safety area.
Honda has been conducting engine combustion tests and hovering tests at the site for the last year.
A car maker launching rockets is not so unusual any more., SpaceX, owned by Tesla owner Elon Musk, is the largest space operator with the reusable Falcon rockets launching over 500 times. However it saw its latest heavy duty reusable rocket, Starship 36, explode on the launch pad yesterday as it was being tested.
Chinese car maker Geely, which owns Volvo, has also launched its own satellites to communicate with its vehicles. Its subsidiary Geespace will be able to produce 500 satellites a year. Electronics manufacturer Foxconn has also launched two of its own satellites to test broadband technologies.
“In this market environment, Honda has chosen to take on the technological challenge of developing reusable rockets by utilizing Honda technologies amassed in the development of various products and automated driving systems, based on a belief that reusable rockets will contribute to achieving sustainable transportation,” says Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda.
No decisions have been made regarding commercialization of the rocket technologies, but Honda says it will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realizing technological capability to enable the suborbital launch by 2029.
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