Japan's space agency successfully launched and landed a reusable rocket prototype on Friday, advancing technology aimed at cutting the cost of space access.
The RV-X experimental vehicle lifted off at around 6:14 a.m. from the Noshiro Rocket Testing Ground in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan. The liquid hydrogen-fueled rocket, measuring roughly 7.3 metres long and 1.8 metres in diameter, rose to an altitude of about 11 metres, moved approximately 16 metres horizontally, and landed vertically in a flight lasting around 40 seconds.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said data from the test will inform the design of CALLISTO, a more practical reusable launch vehicle being developed jointly with France and Germany. Flight tests for CALLISTO are scheduled before April 2027, the agency added.