Japan’s JAXA successfully launches, lands reusable rocket
Japan's space agency, JAXA, successfully conducted a test flight and landing of a prototype reusable rocket. This development aims to reduce launch costs and improve Japan's competitiveness in the global space industry.
Why it matters
Reusable rocket technology is essential for lowering the cost of space access and is currently a key area of competition between major global powers like the U.S., China, and Japan.
Japan 's space agency said on Saturday (July 11, 2026) its prototype reusable rocket successfully completed the first lift-off and landing test, marking a step forward in the cost-cutting technology dominated by SpaceX.
The prototype, launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s test site in Noshiro, Akita region, reached a height of about 10 metres (33 feet), and then landed. “The flight lasted about 40 seconds,” according to JAXA.
"I feel we have put a great deal of time and effort into this, and now that the prototype has taken off and landed without problem, I must say I feel a great sense of relief," JAXA's Takashi Ito, who led the launch, told reporters.
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