Honda is on its way to a whole new world of innovation. The automaker announced it has successfully completed a test flight and landing of its experimental rocket earlier this week. The flight took place in Taiki Town, Japan, and marked the first-ever rocket landing of the automaker, bringing a new direction for Honda outside of the automotive world.

The automaker said the rocket launched from a runway to a height of 890 feet, before completing a soft landing. The four-legged robot touched down precisely within 37 centimeters of the target. The feat proves the company’s focus on combining its expertise in engineering and automation with a new horizon: space.

A Precise Flight

The nearly 21-foot-tall, 2,800-pound rocket lifted off for 56.6 seconds before safely landing on the ground. In that time, it demonstrated stable vertical lift, flight control, and landing capabilities, all three crucial for a reusable launch system.

The launch rocket featured retractable legs, serving two purposes. The legs assisted with lift-off, while they also helped to balance the rocket on landing. It’s an important advancement for a company that, until now, had not historically been associated with spaceflight.

To an outside observer, Honda’s entry into space may come as a surprise. The company announced its intention to explore space in 2021. However, the automaker has been quietly developing the rocket since then.

Honda’s rocket uses tech from other sectors, particularly from its automated driving business. Honda uses the same high-precision technology that keeps road vehicles safe and helps navigate them from point A to B. Now, that tech can be repurposed to guide and control the rocket.

Rockets, Why Are They So Important?

The automaker is not interested in just getting to space. Honda points to the growing demand for satellite infrastructure that will benefit many of its businesses — including those in connectivity, logistics, and autonomous vehicles. With satellites becoming increasingly important for data transmission, vehicle navigation, and communication services, having a rocket to launch its own could give the company a significant edge in a rapidly growing market.

Honda’s endeavor is still in the early stages. The company notes that it is still in the “fundamental research” phase and that no final decisions have been made on commercialization.

“Although Honda rocket research is still in the fundamental research phase, and no decisions have been made regarding commercialization of these rocket technologies, Honda will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realizing technological capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029,” the company said in a press release.

The automaker’s long-term goal is to achieve a suborbital launch by 2029. In short, that means the rocket reaches the Kármán line — a point 62 miles above sea level — but does not enter orbit. It’s an important step for a rocket and a launch vehicle and opens up the possibility for future testing, satellite payload testing, and even manned flights.

But a suborbital flight won’t put a satellite into orbit. For that, Honda would need a much more powerful, complex system that could be quite expensive. Honda has not yet announced whether it will pursue an orbital launch, where SpaceX and Blue Origin hold significant sway.

But with this week’s successful test, it is clear that Honda is serious. The company has the know-how, tech, and now, data to back up its space ambitions.

Taiki Town is becoming the country’s space town. With public and private investment from local governments and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the town is quickly becoming a hub for space innovation. Honda’s partnership with Taiki Town shows how corporate interest and local investment can drive the country’s space sector forward.

Final Thoughts

This is just the beginning for Honda. Whether or not the company launches commercial rockets, its successful rocket landing marks a new category of private players in space.

And with a clear deadline of 2029, the coming years will be crucial for both technological advancement and for where Honda will land in the race to space.

One thing is clear: the automaker is not just on the road anymore. It is looking to the sky.