October 6, 2021 Image of utilizing a circulative renewable energy system on the lunar surface. Credit: Honda Motor Company
SEOUL, South Korea — Japanese carmaker Honda is developing a partially reusable launch vehicle for small satellites with a test launch to be conducted by 2030.
The company unveiled the plan Sept. 30 , saying its core automotive technologies for combustion, fluid, remote control and guidance will be applied to the rocket.
This is part of Honda’s Vision 2030 , under which the Tokyo-based company is also poised to expand its business portfolio into flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, multi-fingered avatar robot and energy production on the lunar surface. This multipronged strategy, in turn, could lead to more connected machines — everything from autos to appliances to utilities that are online — and create new services and revenue opportunities in the Earth and outer space.