The industry continues to expand, and for better or worse, more companies are dipping their toes into the space. This time, it’s Honda. The automaker announced that it launched and landed an experimental rocket for the first time last week. Here’s what you need to know about the newest entrant into the field.

The Taiki Town launch, which Honda conducted in Japan, was a success. The rocket climbed 890 feet and landed on all four of its landing legs within 37 centimeters of its intended target. The flight proves that Honda has the engineering and automation prowess to make a rocket work. If you’re unfamiliar with this project, it’s important to note that the company has spent a significant amount of time keeping it under wraps. Let’s explore why that is.

Why Honda is Venturing into space at all

To understand the motivation behind the new project, we must first examine Honda’s reasoning for this investment. It wasn’t all just based on curiosity. The automaker said that the effort would help enable its new and future products, which include the industries of connectivity, logistics, and automated mobility.

In fact, the automaker noted that satellites are becoming essential to all three of those businesses, which explains why it’s looking to develop its own. Satellites can help it deliver in-car data, for example, and help autonomous cars determine their position. For its automotive ambitions, which now extend to flying cars, it could help deliver information from the air, which is essential for piloting vehicles in the sky. In short, it’s going to require a connection to satellites, so why not just build its own?

Of course, Honda doesn’t want to overextend itself. It still remains conservative, and that includes its new space project. The company reiterated that the project is still in its early stages and that there are no decisions about commercialization. Instead, it’s taking the attitude of letting the science do the talking.

That being said, the company noted that its long-term goal is to complete a suborbital launch by 2029. In layman’s terms, this means that it plans to reach the Kármán line, which is 62 miles above sea level. If it succeeds, it will cross that line and be able to further its mission with manned tests, payload trials, and even more.

That doesn’t mean the company will launch satellites into orbit, which requires a more complex system. Honda hasn’t revealed if it will look to commercialize its launch system. That would pit it against SpaceX, Blue Origin, and a host of other companies that have found ways to launch more cost-effectively than their predecessors. However, if it manages to secure launch licenses, it could find itself as a new entrant to the business.

This week’s launch proves it can fly. What’s next?

Honda is making a name for itself in space with this announcement. The company is poised to begin its commercial journey, and with the science and test flights completed, the real question is what it does next. The answer could be launching and landing in space.

Taiki Town has been labeled Japan’s space town, which shows that the regional and local governments see the value in it. Honda’s partnership is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which has been helping it with a pilot site and other materials.

The program is a chance for the local community to foster innovation, and it seems like it’s working.

Honda’s first successful rocket launch isn’t its first foray into the space business. In fact, it began work on its space program back in 2021, and its initial announcement surprised many. However, it didn’t show the company was working toward its 2029 launch goal, which it recently hit with this flight. This success shows that it has what it needs to achieve its goal, and with the work that’s already done, it may reach its goals faster than you think.

That means it will be looking to its competition for some insight. Honda will be watching the other space programs, like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. With so many eyes on these companies, they could all learn a thing or two from one another.