Latest news with #Hokkaido
Daily Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
Car giant's space fight with Musk
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motoring News. Followed categories will be added to My News. One of the world's biggest car makers has joined Elon Musk in the race to the stars. Honda has officially entered the space race alongside Musk's Space X, after Japan's second largest carmaker announced it had successfully launched a 'resusable rocket prototype'. In the same week, a Space X rocket dramatically blew up while preparing to take flight, Honda showed it was serious about its space exploration ambitions, first mentioned four years ago. Honda R&D, which is a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. said it 'conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket developed independently by Honda'. Musk's SpaceX rocket goes kablam. Picture X The rocket, which was 6.3m long, 85cm in diameter and weighed 1312kg, reached an altitude of 271.4m and landed within 37cm of the target touchdown point after a flight of 57s. According to Honda R&D, the purpose of the test, conducted at a Honda facility in Taiki Town on Hokkaido, the northern most of Japan's main islands, was the 'establishment of key technologies necessary for a reusable rocket'. '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,' Honda said in a statement. Honda engineers prepare the rocket. Picture: Honda Honda conducts a successful launch and landing test of its Experimental Reusable Rocket. Picture: Honda R&D 'Through this successful test, Honda achieved its intended rocket behaviours for the launch and landing, while obtaining data during the ascent and descent.' Honda announced in 2021 that it was 'pursuing research and development in the field of space technologies' with the thought that its discoveries could also be used in Honda vehicles. That includes in regard to automated driving systems and sustainable transportation. Honda is aiming at a suborbital launch by 2029. 'We are pleased that Honda has made another step forward in our research on reusable rockets with this successful completion of a launch and landing test,' Global CEO of Honda Toshihiro Mibe said. 'We believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavour that leverages Honda's technological strengths. Honda said space tech is likely to be used in its future cars. Source: Supplied 'Honda will continue to take on new challenges—not only to offer our customers various services and value through our products, while addressing environmental and safety issues, but also to continue creating new value which will make people's time and place more enjoyable.' Originally published as Car giant's space fight with Musk
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Car giant's space fight with Musk
One of the world's biggest car makers has joined Elon Musk in the race to the stars. Honda has officially entered the space race alongside Musk's Space X, after Japan's second largest carmaker announced it had successfully launched a 'resusable rocket prototype'. In the same week, a Space X rocket dramatically blew up while preparing to take flight, Honda showed it was serious about its space exploration ambitions, first mentioned four years ago. Honda R&D, which is a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. said it 'conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket developed independently by Honda'. The rocket, which was 6.3m long, 85cm in diameter and weighed 1312kg, reached an altitude of 271.4m and landed within 37cm of the target touchdown point after a flight of 57s. According to Honda R&D, the purpose of the test, conducted at a Honda facility in Taiki Town on Hokkaido, the northern most of Japan's main islands, was the 'establishment of key technologies necessary for a reusable rocket'. '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,' Honda said in a statement. 'Through this successful test, Honda achieved its intended rocket behaviours for the launch and landing, while obtaining data during the ascent and descent.' Honda announced in 2021 that it was 'pursuing research and development in the field of space technologies' with the thought that its discoveries could also be used in Honda vehicles. That includes in regard to automated driving systems and sustainable transportation. Honda is aiming at a suborbital launch by 2029. 'We are pleased that Honda has made another step forward in our research on reusable rockets with this successful completion of a launch and landing test,' Global CEO of Honda Toshihiro Mibe said. 'We believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavour that leverages Honda's technological strengths. 'Honda will continue to take on new challenges—not only to offer our customers various services and value through our products, while addressing environmental and safety issues, but also to continue creating new value which will make people's time and place more enjoyable.'
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda Tests Reusable Rocket in Space Push
Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC) completed a successful vertical launch and landing of its experimental reusable rocket in Hokkaido, marking the first such private Japanese demonstration of takeoff-and-touchdown technology. The 6.3-meter test vehicle, built by Honda R&D, climbed to 271.4 meters before descending and touching down within 37 centimeters of its planned target, showcasing retractable landing gear, proprietary guidance algorithms and advanced flight-control systems. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with HMC. The precision trial follows Honda's entry into space research in 2021 and underscores the company's engineering chops beyond its flagship auto and motorcycle divisions. While Honda's rocket remains suborbital in scale, the small-satellite launch market could swell from $9.6 billion in 2025 to over $62 billion by 2030, driven by commercial constellations, government contracts and climate-monitoring missions. SpaceX still leads with over 500 missions completed, but rival entrants such as Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) and Blue Origin are bolstering private-sector momentum outside the U.S. and China. Honda's mastery of precision engineering and factory automation could give it optionality to supply satellite deployment or data-service offerings down the road. Why It Matters: The test doesn't move Honda's near-term revenue needle but signals a long-term strategic shift into high-growth space services, leveraging its core tech capabilities. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Memorial services at sea to be held off disputed islands
The Hokkaido government has announced that memorial services at sea will be held between July 20 and Aug. 21 for former residents of the four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan to mourn their ancestors. In Japan, the four islands, which were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan in the closing days of World War II, are collectively called the Northern Territories. Held for the fourth consecutive year, the memorial services aboard a ship reflect the wishes of former residents and successors to offer condolences to their ancestors as close as possible to their homeland, at a time when exchange initiatives, including a visa-free visit program, have been halted amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Hokkaido government said Tuesday that it will run the memorial services jointly with a league of former residents and others. Five of the scheduled seven memorial service sessions will be one-day trips in which participants will mourn their ancestors as they face the Habomai group of islets and the southern part of Kunashiri Island, both in the group of claimed islands, aboard a ship named Etopirika that will depart from and return to the port of Nemuro in eastern Hokkaido. The other two will involve an overnight stay on board, with participants offering prayers toward the northern part of Kunashiri Island.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Honda hails successful test of reusable rocket as it looks to get into the space business
Tokyo — Japan's second-biggest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested an experimental reusable rocket, the company says, as it seeks to expand into the space sector. Honda, which hopes to develop the tech prowess for a suborbital launch by 2029, conducted a test flight of its rocket on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. "The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters (about 984 feet)," the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Honda's experimental reusable rocket is seen during what the company said was its successful test launch from the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on on June 17, 2025. Honda R&D Co. Ltd. The prototype device, around six meters (20 feet) tall, landed only 37 centimeters (a little more than a foot) from its designated landing spot after the one-minute flight. Demand for satellite launch rockets is expected to increase in coming years as expectations grow for "a data system in outer space," the Honda statement said. "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," it said. In the future, the rockets could be used to set up satellite-based communication tools and monitor environmental conditions such as global warming, Honda added. Elon Musk's SpaceX is known for its use of reusable rockets -- a fast-growing field with various companies worldwide racing to develop their own models. Japan's space agency, JAXA, is also on a mission to become a major player for satellite launches, including with its H3 rocket, which isn't reusable. Meanwhile, Japanese startups are vying to enter the busy field, including Space One, which in December suffered its second failed rocket launch.
