This is the first I have heard they were doing this. Makes spacex accomplishments less impressive. Fuck elon
Honda successfully launched and landed its own reusable rocket
Submitted 1 day ago by Pro@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://global.honda/en/topics/2025/c_2025-06-17ceng.html
Comments
ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
turkalino@lemmy.yachts 1 day ago
I imagine they poached a lot of Spacex engineers by simply telling them “we won’t make you work ungodly hours, nor will we subject you to a narcissistic manchild with no engineering education dropping in on your meetings and trying to tell you how to do your job”
hddsx@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
You do realize it’s Japan right? China, Japan, Korea all have work life balance issues.i wouldn’t want to work 996 or 007 lol
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
I bet they poached 0-3 workers.
You left out the “but you have to learn Japanese and move to Japan” part of the job pitch. That makes it a harder sell for most people.
jaybone@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Tbf doesn’t he have a computer science degree? Which is a type of engineering degree?
entwine413@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Well, Honda is actually a competent company.
Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Hell yes. Any competition to musk is very much needed.
Go Honda.
SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 11 hours ago
You have it the wrong way round. SpaceX’s accomplishments are impressive despite Elon.
frezik@midwest.social 1 day ago
Eh, it’s just a start of development. It only goes 300 meters. Blue Origin goes higher, but even they aren’t in orbit.
Japan also has some odd limitations on their rockets as part of their self defense only constitution. They don’t build a rocket that could potentially be used to strike mainland Asia.
sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
Something something the first 300 meters are the hardest…
dariusj18@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Also, if you look at the pictures, it’s not a very big rocket.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Um, no it doesn’t… At all…
This is a first step landing test, not even suborbital, it flew to a height of 300 meters. This is the point that SpaceX was at in 2011 with their grasshopper rocket.
SpaceX is regularly landing orbital hardware and working on a fully reusable rocket with a greater lifting capacity than anything else ever. It’s not really the same…
But fuck Elon, no argument there.
untakenusername@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
well Honda did this a decade later so there still is some achievement spacex has done 🤷
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 19 hours ago
How does it make spaceX’s accomplishments less impressive? SpaceX pioneered it. Space X did it first, with a significantly bigger rocket and at a significantly higher altitude. Honda no doubt achieved this by looking at what spacex did and how they did it and copying it.
This actually makes spaceX’s accomplishments look even more impressive.
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Up and down isn’t a hard problem in the grand scheme of things. It’s expensive and doesn’t offer much benefit.
Going up and over at orbital velocities and coming back is the hard part, and none of these new spaces companies have done that successfully yet.
New Glenn from Blue Orgin might be the first but it blew up coming back on their first attempt.
pastermil@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
To be fair, they must’ve learned from the recent spacex accomplishments.
untakenusername@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
probably
no one in the private sector was gonna take that kind of risk for a while and then SpaceX took the gamble, won and now tons of players see vertical landing of rockets works so their all looking into it.
rmuk@feddit.uk 1 day ago
It seems crazy that a company that’s only really known for cars, motorbikes, tuning forks, heat pumps, brake pads, pens, tractors, fertilizer, display panels, outboard motors, pneumatic systems, oil tankers, furniture, bricks, solar panels, ATVs, generators, dinghies, hydrogen fuel cells, crop dusters, jet engines, cultivators, hedge trimmers, lawnmowers, precision optics and robots would suddenly pivot to rockets.
roofuskit@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It’s almost like they’re an engineering company.
MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Crazy, right?
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 1 day ago
MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Oh damn.
drsilverworm@midwest.social 21 hours ago
N420HA. Not sure if that’s the model or the plane’s license plate but either way hell yeah
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 1 day ago
To be fair to Honda, they are doing what is expected of any companies in a capitalist system, actually innovate and diversify in order to remain competitive. Most other companies would rather stick to their traditional products and services, even if those products and services are written on the wall that they are becoming obsolete.
Pilferjinx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Isn’t that Yamaha? Or is Honda the same?
burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
Yamaha is definitely in tune with the music. I never remember which is which, but their logo is tuning forks and depending on the product the tuning forks can extend past the circle. I think their motorcycles have it extending past.
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
It says Honda right on the side of the engine.
simbico@lemmy.zip 12 hours ago
Also a very capable downhill bike that was using a gearbox well before it got popular Honda RN-01 G-cross
ChapulinColorado@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The impressive part is that they are also known for being reliable, there are the occasional issues, but overall very trustworthy products.
andros_rex@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Like how the 2018-2021 Honda Civics shipped with non functioning AC because they used the wrong type of refrigerant? They’ve also trained dealerships to deny the warranty!
It’s been in the 90s all week - I risk heat stroke in my fucking car going to work!
bytesonbike@discuss.online 1 day ago
Incredible. What a great comment.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
It’s actually interesting how similar rockets and jet engines are. You could think of a rocket as a jet (or sometimes two engines) with more focus on the afterburner and an O2 tank rather than an air intake.
gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 16 hours ago
a rocket is a wingless airplane IMO
aleonem@lemmy.today 6 hours ago
TIL honda has its own web domain
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 minutes ago
TLD*
But yes, same here.
MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Honda built a rocket
Me: of course they did.
They launched the rocket
Me: naturally.
They landed the rocket.
Me: on the first try?
Ileftreddit@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
My buddy’s 2 million mile ‘95 civic says this is a sure bet
answersplease77@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
Honda is cool they build robotics and the best motorbikes in the world per cost
Buffalox@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
This wasn’t much more than a toy rocket:
6.3 m in length, 85 cm in diameter,
The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters.But still they were successful on their first try, so we will have to see where they take it from here. 🚀
Sturgist@lemmy.ca 18 hours ago
It’s proof of tech. It’d be stupid and wasteful to do all the tests on a full size rocket.
moseschrute@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
There’s a YouTube channel called BPS Space where this guy spent 7 years learning how to land a model rocket space x style. He talked about how much you can learn about real rocket science even from a small model.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Whatever they tested it’s probably proof of that, but such a small rocket and only 300 meters means that a lot of things were not really proven, because scale is a HUGE issue.
Just ask Elon Musk / SpaceX, the Falcon rocket is fine, but Starship is horrible. And the difference is scale.
BoycottPro@lemm.ee 1 day ago
I hope they crush SpaceX one day.
Valmond@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
By landing on them.
0x0@lemmy.zip 14 hours ago
Honda giving a whole new meaning to crotch rocket.
Oh wait, it’s an actual rocket!Windex007@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Guess we doin rockets now
xavier666@lemm.ee 22 hours ago
We got Honda launching rockets before GTA 6
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
I thought Rockstar was going to launch GTA 6
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 19 hours ago
If it had vtech and a fart cannon it would have hit 600m.
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
Of all the manufacturing companies, I would expect nothing less from Honda.
NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Since when is Honda a rocket company? This is literally the first im hearing about this. They kept this quiet for a while, and im not sure why.
ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Well they have been making crotch rockets for a long time.
gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 15 hours ago
isn’t that Hitachi?
minkymunkey_7_7@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It’s new. Honda Space Development Division.
Honda R&D to Conduct Testing with Sierra Space and Tec-Masters on the International Space Station | Honda Global Corporate Website share.google/3CwIsYUh8eWsohht4
A lot of the global conglomerate Asian based companies do R&D across many fields, rather than just the product they’re most know for. Toshiba makes nuclear reactors! Samsung has phones and sewing machines and microchips… and nuclear reactors research.
NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Good for them, Asia is getting their rocket programs in order while the U.S. tries their best to destroy ours. Man i wish I could move.
altphoto@lemmy.today 1 day ago
The all new Honda space Odyssey! It has a great V6 rocket engine with a 6000 million mile timing belt. After that you can buy one at amazon but it lasts 4 miles or 6 minutes.
throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
An alternative to starlink would be great.
moody@lemmings.world 1 day ago
An alternative to.space junk clogging up the sky would indeed be nice.
stephen01king@lemmy.zip 23 hours ago
It sounds like he’s asking for more space junk.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Well this wouldn’t be that. It would be a competitor to space junk, so increase the number of satellites in orbit by say 25%.
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 21 hours ago
An alternative to anything Elon would be great.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
Yeah, they could have a product ready by 2045!
biofaust@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
Genuinely curious: how many explosions before the successful test?
torrentialgrain@lemm.ee 19 hours ago
Apparently they got it right on the first try.
biofaust@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Now that’s the real win.
skisnow@lemmy.ca 15 hours ago
The Top Gear Reliant Robin launch reached 3000ft / 900m, although they were unable to stick the landing.
harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
I wanna buy one and see what it can do with an old 4 cylinder VTEC out of a Civic Si.
KindnessIsPunk@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
And Hyundai is making tanks, what a world.
JuxtaposedJaguar@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
I wonder if hydrogen fuels poses any unique risks as compared to petrol.
It’s highly explosive.
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 1 day ago
I mean so are the shells tank fire. If you are hit hard enough to hit the fuel cell in a tank…you have other problems.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Something something hindenberg…
xavier666@lemm.ee 22 hours ago
It’s highly explosive
That’s … why i’m here
CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
I wonder how it feels when VTEC kicks in on a literal rocket
Lawnman23@lemmy.world 1 day ago
What the F is every corporation’s boner with rockets? 🚀
fubarx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Rin@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Based
Masamune@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Flying Honda Accord confirmed.
robogeek@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
Idk, looks more like Hitachi
Bieren@lemmy.world 1 day ago
“But look what I can do, I’m Elon musk” …. Throws out a nazi salute.
curiousPJ@lemmy.world 1 day ago
How many went kaboom before this?
RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.cafe 20 hours ago
Anything that erodes SpaceX’s monopoly is good for me
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
Unfortunately, the next competitor will be Amazon…
And then we’ll see what happens next, getting a whole constellation up is no small feat, I can’t see a third company getting a system working before 2050.
Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 15 hours ago
Also with starlink even one company’s constellation is causing issues with astronomers and launches.
How bad will it be if there are 5-6 different companies with their own network floating around up there. And then other countries with their own network.
GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
The satellite constellation is the natural consequence of cheaper rockets. It’s a true paradigm shift, but the pioneer in this case has only the moat of being able to spend less money per launch. If someone else can deliver payloads to low earth orbit for less than $2,000/kg, then they’ll easily be able to launch a Starlink competitor.
defaultsamson@lemmy.ml 17 hours ago
I know Blue Horizon or whatever it’s called has had minor success with rockets. What’s stopping Honda from out-competing them? Could it be a funding problem? (I know Blue Horizon has a lot of Amazon funding)