Japan's primary rocket builder, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is another titan of Japanese industry, but it has never launched more than six space missions in a single year. MHI's newest rocket, the H3, debuted in 2023 but is fully expendable.

Honda developed the experimental reusable rocket on its own. The spacecraft is 20.6 feet (6.3 meters) in length, 85 centimeters (33.4 inches) in diameter, and has a dry weight of 900 kg (1984 pounds). The prototype vehicle soared to an altitude of nearly 889 feet (271 meters) at Honda’s facility in Taiki Town, Japan, on June 17.