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Honda conducts successful launch and landing of experimental reusable rocket

(global.honda)
1355 points LorenDB | 6 comments | 17 Jun 25 15:02 UTC | HN request time: 0.933s | source | bottom
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leesec ◴[17 Jun 25 17:22 UTC] No.44301466[source]▶
This is a tiny rocket going up 300ms and coming back down. Happy for them but they're a long way from any utility ( and a decade+ behind other companies )
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1. throaway920181 ◴[17 Jun 25 17:25 UTC] No.44301492[source]▶
Which companies have this capability besides SpaceX and Blue Origin? More competition is always welcome.
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2. Rebelgecko ◴[17 Jun 25 17:28 UTC] No.44301531[source]▶
I think the DC-X program did this first in the 90s. It ran into funding issues and it turns out there isn't a ton of value in reusable rockets that only go a few hundred feet (although more advanced applications are potentially worthwhile)
3. perihelions ◴[17 Jun 25 17:41 UTC] No.44301697[source]▶
Rocket Labs, Stoke Space, Deep Blue, Landspace, Space Pioneer, iSpace, Galactic. (The last five are Chinese startups).

Rocket Labs has recovered (not reflown) several orbital boosters, and the rest are within 1-2 years of orbital booster recovery attempts.

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4. bpodgursky ◴[17 Jun 25 21:13 UTC] No.44304030[source]▶
So the correct answer is "nobody else has the capability"

I'll be thrilled when someone does! Competition is great! But let's do it via technological progress, not through abuse of the english language.

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5. rasz ◴[18 Jun 25 01:15 UTC] No.44305736[source]▶
Here an amateur doing it all on its own https://youtu.be/SH3lR2GLgT0
6. dmix ◴[18 Jun 25 04:47 UTC] No.44306743{3}[source]▶
He did say “orbital booster recovery” which is 160,000 meters. Honda reached 300 meters which is about the height of a tall skyscraper