Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Successfully Tests Prototype Reusable Rocket

Key facts

• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully completed the first lift-off and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket.
• The test was conducted at the JAXA test site in Noshiro, Akita region, where the rocket reached an altitude of approximately 10 metres (33 feet).
• The flight of the prototype lasted about 40 seconds before it performed a successful landing.
• The technology aims to reduce launch costs by recovering the first launch stage, which is considered the most expensive component of a rocket.
• China achieved its first successful reusable rocket landing on 10 July 2026, a breakthrough that challenges United States (U.S.) dominance in the field.
• A subsidiary of Honda became the first Japanese company to successfully launch and land a reusable rocket in June of the previous year.
• JAXA successfully launched its flagship H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre on 12 June 2026.