this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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Honda says growing expectations of a "data system in outer space" are going to increase the demand for rockets to launch satellites. So, the Japanese automaker quietly built one and tested it successfully.

Japan's second-largest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested an experimental reusable space rocket on the nothern Japanese island of Hokkaido, the company said in a surprise announcement.

"The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters (1,000 feet)," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The carmaker aims to achieve suborbital space flight in 2029. In 2021, Honda said it was studying space technologies such as reusable rockets but made no announcements prior to Tuesday's test

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[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 93 points 1 week ago (3 children)

"OK, so, I want a Honda Civic, but for up and down instead of forwards and backwards."

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Unironically, yes.

If Honda can make a rocket as reliable and cheap as a Civic, relatively, we all win.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I didn't know Honda made sex toys.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Hitachi could make a reusable rocket, you just gotta wipe the sticky off it between flights

[–] UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Honda sex toys are reliable and has been married for 100 years

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 points 1 week ago

Technically, orbit is just forward, really, really fast. "Up" is incidental to the process.

[–] BigDaddySlim@lemmy.world 69 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Just wait until they add VTEC to it

[–] projectsquared@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Was that a sonic boom? Nah, rev limiter!

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[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The aftermarket spoiler market for these will be huge.

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[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

I expect we’ll see SpaceX rockets with VTEC stickers trying to masquerade as performance rockets.

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 51 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Honda landing rockets, VW getting fully automated vans to drive safely on roads, xAI burning through 1b monthly. Not a good time to be a musk, I guess.

[–] Someone@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

He has so much money he could lose a billion dollars every month and still have billions left in 2055.

[–] KumaSudosa 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do you have a link for the vw cars? Can't seem to find anything concrete

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] KumaSudosa 2 points 1 week ago

Thank you! Hope my German is still good enough to read it

[–] Inaminate_Carbon_Rod@lemmy.world 46 points 1 week ago (18 children)

This must terrify Musk and his SpaceX

It pleases me.

[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I doubt that. Spacex is miles ahead of the rest and they have bigger plans.

Sure they would rather have a monopoly on cheap rockets for as long as possible but they have always known people would be trying to catch them up

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Yes, but Honda also builds nice things. They're not the neighbors you want moving in next door if your business is making reliable and precise things cheaply.

Maybe it doesn't matter because SpaceX just lies on all their bids anyways

[–] Crikeste@lemm.ee 4 points 1 week ago

I don’t believe they have even hit space yet, the test was only from 1000 ft.

Still, cool as hell.

Wait. This is just more commodification of space.

Fuck that. And I will be against it until we figure out our fucking shit down here on the ground.

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[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Now that's a diversification I didn't see coming. Not bad.

[–] iridebikes@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] meep_launcher@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

Maybe they're gonna go full Yamaha.

Can't wait to play a Honda Tenor Saxophone.

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago

About time. Took the market long enough. Bloody hell, it's like capitalism literally handed Musk this business on a golden platter.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (12 children)

I love that space travel is becoming so democratized now.

It shouldn’t just be governments, it shouldn’t just be private companies, it should be anyone with the wherewithal to figure the technology out.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

If your idea of 'democratized' is 'now giant megacorps have comparable capital and assets to entire nation states'...

You have a very, very silly understanding of democracy.

Please explain to me how a giant mega corp is... democratic in nature.

You are describing cyberpunk style, hypercorporate techno-feudalism as democracy.

Democracy is one person, one vote.

Corporate governance structures can basically be boiled down to: one dollar, one vote, ie, oligarchy.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah. Most of humanity has been propagandised into believing that corporations, which are run like dictatorships where < 1% are the majority shareholders who control the operation, are actually equivalent to "freedom" and "democracy".

Clown world.

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[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Is always going to take a massive amount of resources to get to space.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Kyle_The_G@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I like Honda, you can drive those cars into the ground, they just keep going.

[–] unpossum@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Now if they can pull that off with a rocket...

[–] Mist101@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just make sure to point it the other way, first.

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[–] Tiger@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago

This is the best news I’ve heard all day. Go Honda! Fuck Musk!

[–] ABetterTomorrow@lemm.ee 5 points 1 week ago

Annnnnnnnnnnnd everyone else just been replaced.

[–] Gamechanger@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 week ago
[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Honda is the complete opposite of Leon Hitler and his Space X BS.

[–] Vari@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago
[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

Put some v-tec in it and it might actually works better.

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