Japan tests prototype reusable rocket

Japan successfully tested a prototype reusable rocket on Saturday, marking another step in its efforts to develop reusable launch technology and lower the cost of space missions.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said its RV-X rocket reached an altitude of about 11 meters (36 feet), traveled about 16 meters (52 feet) horizontally and landed safely after a flight lasting about 40 seconds during a test at its facility in Noshiro, Akita prefecture, Kyodo News reported.

JAXA said the test will support the development of the Callisto reusable launch vehicle, a joint project with France and Germany.

The Callisto vehicle, which uses the same engine as the RV-X, is scheduled for a flight test next April and will attempt a landing from a greater height than in Saturday's trial.

According to JAXA, the RV-X is about 7.3 meters (23.9 feet) long, 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) in diameter and equipped with four landing legs.

Japan is developing reusable launch technology because its flagship H3 rocket is currently expendable, with each vehicle used for a single launch.

Reusable rockets allow the same booster to be recovered and flown multiple times, reducing manufacturing and launch costs while enabling more frequent missions.

Last year, Honda R&D Co., a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., conducted Japan's first successful reusable rocket flight test by a private company.

US billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX pioneered reusable rocket landings for orbital launches. China has since become the second country, after the US, to develop reliable reusable rocket technology.