this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
529 points (99.6% liked)

World News

47627 readers
2311 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Honda says growing expectations of a "data system in outer space" are going to increase the demand for rockets to launch satellites. So, the Japanese automaker quietly built one and tested it successfully.

Japan's second-largest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested an experimental reusable space rocket on the nothern Japanese island of Hokkaido, the company said in a surprise announcement.

"The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters (1,000 feet)," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The carmaker aims to achieve suborbital space flight in 2029. In 2021, Honda said it was studying space technologies such as reusable rockets but made no announcements prior to Tuesday's test

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now that's a diversification I didn't see coming. Not bad.

[–] iridebikes@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Maybe they're gonna go full Yamaha.

Can't wait to play a Honda Tenor Saxophone.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] BigDaddySlim@lemmy.world 69 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Just wait until they add VTEC to it

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The aftermarket spoiler market for these will be huge.

[–] Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Wait until Hector gets to Harry’s…this shit gonna be lit.

[–] projectsquared@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Was that a sonic boom? Nah, rev limiter!

[–] ProfessorProteus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Could have been the blowoff valve for the turbo! Or a shitty muffler delete on a nearby Infiniti

[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

I expect we’ll see SpaceX rockets with VTEC stickers trying to masquerade as performance rockets.

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 93 points 1 day ago (3 children)

"OK, so, I want a Honda Civic, but for up and down instead of forwards and backwards."

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Unironically, yes.

If Honda can make a rocket as reliable and cheap as a Civic, relatively, we all win.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 points 1 day ago

Technically, orbit is just forward, really, really fast. "Up" is incidental to the process.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I didn't know Honda made sex toys.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

Hitachi could make a reusable rocket, you just gotta wipe the sticky off it between flights

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Inaminate_Carbon_Rod@lemmy.world 46 points 1 day ago (18 children)

This must terrify Musk and his SpaceX

It pleases me.

[–] Crikeste@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

I don’t believe they have even hit space yet, the test was only from 1000 ft.

Still, cool as hell.

Wait. This is just more commodification of space.

Fuck that. And I will be against it until we figure out our fucking shit down here on the ground.

[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I doubt that. Spacex is miles ahead of the rest and they have bigger plans.

Sure they would rather have a monopoly on cheap rockets for as long as possible but they have always known people would be trying to catch them up

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Yes, but Honda also builds nice things. They're not the neighbors you want moving in next door if your business is making reliable and precise things cheaply.

Maybe it doesn't matter because SpaceX just lies on all their bids anyways

load more comments (16 replies)
[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago

About time. Took the market long enough. Bloody hell, it's like capitalism literally handed Musk this business on a golden platter.

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 51 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Honda landing rockets, VW getting fully automated vans to drive safely on roads, xAI burning through 1b monthly. Not a good time to be a musk, I guess.

[–] Someone@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

He has so much money he could lose a billion dollars every month and still have billions left in 2055.

[–] KumaSudosa@feddit.dk 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Do you have a link for the vw cars? Can't seem to find anything concrete

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ABetterTomorrow@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago

Annnnnnnnnnnnd everyone else just been replaced.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (12 children)

I love that space travel is becoming so democratized now.

It shouldn’t just be governments, it shouldn’t just be private companies, it should be anyone with the wherewithal to figure the technology out.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If your idea of 'democratized' is 'now giant megacorps have comparable capital and assets to entire nation states'...

You have a very, very silly understanding of democracy.

Please explain to me how a giant mega corp is... democratic in nature.

You are describing cyberpunk style, hypercorporate techno-feudalism as democracy.

Democracy is one person, one vote.

Corporate governance structures can basically be boiled down to: one dollar, one vote, ie, oligarchy.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah. Most of humanity has been propagandised into believing that corporations, which are run like dictatorships where < 1% are the majority shareholders who control the operation, are actually equivalent to "freedom" and "democracy".

Clown world.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Is always going to take a massive amount of resources to get to space.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (10 replies)
[–] Tiger@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago

This is the best news I’ve heard all day. Go Honda! Fuck Musk!

[–] Kyle_The_G@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I like Honda, you can drive those cars into the ground, they just keep going.

[–] unpossum@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now if they can pull that off with a rocket...

[–] Mist101@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just make sure to point it the other way, first.

[–] nimisnimi@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Where we are going, we don't need... wheels.

[–] Vari@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago
[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Honda is the complete opposite of Leon Hitler and his Space X BS.

[–] Gamechanger@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 day ago
load more comments
view more: next ›