12.07.2026

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The RV-X reusable rocket descends in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday

NOSHIRO, Akita — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully conducted the first flight test of its RV-X small reusable rocket on Saturday at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture.

The experimental vehicle, 7.3 meters tall and 1.8 meters in diameter, ascended to an altitude of about 11 meters, according to a preliminary figure, before performing a successful landing.

The practical use of reusable rockets is expected to reduce launch costs and boost the country’s international competitiveness.

Development of the RV-X began in 2016, and it features a highly durable engine designed to be capable of about 100 launches, as well as four legs to absorb the impact of landing. The engine has already undergone more than 160 combustion tests.

Launched at around 6:15 a.m. that day, the vehicle ascended with a roar, maintained an upright orientation while moving horizontally for about 16 meters and then slowly descended. The total flight time was about 40 seconds.

JAXA will inspect such things as the effects of the landing impact and consider a second test flight with the same vehicle.

U.S. firm SpaceX developed the Falcon 9, whose first-stage rocket can be used repeatedly, achieving drastic cost reductions. The company now dominates the global satellite launch market.

By contrast, Japan’s current mainstay H3 rocket is an expendable vehicle. As such, JAXA has been prompted to consider making its next-generation carrier reusable to cut costs.

JAXA is working with the space agencies of Germany and France to jointly develop CALLISTO, a test vehicle that more closely mirrors practical use, with a flight test scheduled for this fiscal year. Equipped with the same type of engine as the RV-X, the test of CALLISTO will incorporate the findings obtained from the recent RV-X flight and is expected to achieve higher altitudes and speeds.

Private-sector development of reusable rockets is also underway in Japan. In June last year, Honda R&D Co. became the first domestic firm to successfully complete a takeoff and landing test.

“Japan’s reusable rocket technology is still in its infancy,” said Hideki Moriai, a professor of propulsion engineering at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology. “I hope this test will trigger an acceleration in development.”

Quelle: The Japan News