Why Honda is suddenly launching reusable rockets

A 20-foot prototype rocket built by Honda successfully launched and landed at the company's facility in northern Japan this June, marking the carmaker's surprising entry into the space race. Kazuo Sakurahara, who leads Honda's space development strategy, explains the logic simply: "Honda products have already expanded across land, sea, and sky. So, it is not surprising that space is the next field of opportunity."

The move isn't just about cosmic ambition. Honda sees rockets as crucial for launching satellites that would support its core transportation business, particularly the communication networks needed for autonomous vehicles. Market researcher Sam Abuelsamid notes a strategic angle: "I could see not wanting to be reliant on a veritable monopoly like SpaceX, especially from someone who is as unstable as Elon Musk."

Honda's space plans extend far beyond rockets. The company is repurposing decades of fuel cell research to create sustainable energy systems for lunar colonies, using ice from the Moon's south pole. Their shelved robot program is being revived to create avatar robots for space construction and repair.

While Honda hasn't built a full-size rocket yet, their timeline mirrors SpaceX's early development, suggesting potential commercial launches by the early 2030s.