Honda may not make the charts when it comes to sales volume, but it remains profitable—and possibly the most diverse Japanese automaker out there. It not only has motorcars and motorcycles; it also sells private jets, dabbles in marine motors, and makes power products like generators and lawn mowers.
But those aren’t the end-all-be-all for Honda. It now even has a reusable rocket. So yeah, Honda is set to join the very exclusive reusable rocket club that members include the likes of Blue Origin, SpaceX, Rocket Lab, China’s Landspace, and the like. Well, almost—because it’s still in testing. But that doesn’t make it any less impressive.
On June 17, 2025, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., a research and development subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., successfully launched and landed an experimental reusable rocket [JP] for the very first time. The 6.3-meter-long test rocket reached an altitude of 271.4 meters before touching down just 37 cm from its target. The entire flight lasted 56.6 seconds—and yes, it landed intact.
The test was conducted at Honda’s facility in Taiki Town, Hokkaido, with safety being top priority. A one-kilometer exclusion zone was established, complete with signage, gates, and personnel. Honda’s test rocket was also equipped with an automated safety system to prevent wayward flying.
Rocket development isn’t just for bragging rights either. Honda sees space as a place to create new value—whether that’s launching satellites to enable better services or eventually contributing to sustainable transportation. While commercialization is still far off, the goal is to achieve suborbital launch capability by 2029.
What’s wild is that this rocket project was sparked by a group of young Honda engineers who simply dreamed of building rockets using the brand’s existing know-how. And clearly, the company backed them.
So yeah, your next lawn mower and satellite launch? Both could say Honda on them.
Images: Honda [JP].