June 18 (UPI) -- Honda says the launch of its first reusable rocket was successful as the company marks a key milestone in the build-out of its space wing by 2029.
"The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters," Japan's second-biggest carmaker revealed Tuesday in a surprise announcement.
Honda's research and development arm said its prototype reusable device that is a little more than 20 feet tall launched and hit an altitude of about 889 feet during a test flight lasting less than a minute.
It safely landed on the ground a little more than a foot from its targeted landing spot at Honda's test site in the northern Japan town of Taiki in Hokkaido Prefecture, where scientists since 2024 have been conducting rocket engine combustion and hovering tests.
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