Dhaka 23 September, 2026

Japan's Space Agency Successfully Tests Prototype Reusable Rocket in Noshiro

International Desk, Rtv News

Publish : 11 Jul 2026, 04:09 PM
Collected Photo

Japan’s space agency announced on Saturday that its prototype reusable rocket has successfully completed its inaugural lift-off and landing test, representing a meaningful advance in cost-cutting aerospace technology long dominated by SpaceX.

Launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) test site in Noshiro, Akita region, the experimental prototype climbed to a height of about 10 metres (33 feet) before executing a safe touchdown. According to JAXA, the entire flight lasted approximately 40 seconds.

Reflecting on the milestone, JAXA's Takashi Ito, who oversaw the launch, told reporters, "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."

Ito noted that the agency will thoroughly analyze the telemetry data to definitively gauge the success of the trial, though he remains "confident" that the team "obtained very useful data."

The vast majority of current launch vehicles remain single-use, with primary components dropping into the sea, burning up upon atmospheric re-entry, or lingering in orbit as space debris, with the first launch stage serving as the single most expensive component.

Read More

Developing partially or fully reusable systems would dramatically slash payload delivery expenses. While SpaceX has maintained operations of its reusable Falcon 9 rockets since 2017, international competition has intensified after China achieved its first successful reusable rocket landing on Friday, a breakthrough poised to challenge US dominance in the sector.

Domestically, the trial follows a June milestone last year when a subsidiary of Honda became the first private Japanese company to successfully launch and land a reusable rocket.

Japan continues to push aggressively to enhance the global market competitiveness of its domestic aerospace manufacturing sector, building on the successful launch of its flagship H3 rocket in June following earlier setbacks in putting orbital satellites into position.

Source: AFP

Follow google news channel to get RTV news Google News
UN AI Experts Warn against 'Apocalyptic' Rhetoric on Risks
Several experts on a United Nations artificial intelligence committee warned Monday against the apocalyptic rhetoric used by some professionals in the sector regarding AI risks.
UN AI Experts Warn against 'Apocalyptic' Rhetoric on Risks
Donald Trump Plans to Form New 'AI Force'
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to appoint a new AI advisor and establish an 'AI Force' focused on artificial intelligence. However, in a social media post on Saturday (September 19), he did not provide specific details on how these two initiatives will function or be implemented.
Donald Trump Plans to Form New 'AI Force'
Is it Possible to Slow Down the Development of AI?
Top AI executives say they want to slow the breakneck pace of artificial intelligence development, but competition, US government reluctance and geopolitical factors stand in the way.
Is it Possible to Slow Down the Development of AI?
Tesla Launches Self-Driving 'Cybercab' in Texas
Electric-vehicle maker Tesla announced the debut of its self-driving robotaxi, dubbed "Cybercab," on Thursday in a bid to compete with the likes of Uber and Waymo.
Tesla Launches Self-Driving 'Cybercab' in Texas
ChatGPT Becomes First AI Chatbot to Face Tougher EU Rules
ChatGPT will have to comply with tougher safety rules after the EU added it Monday to a list of digital services subject to greater legal scrutiny in Europe, a first for an AI chatbot. Brussels also designated the Reddit forum and the popular gaming network Roblox as "very large" online platforms, a label that comes with additional obligations and oversight. "ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society," EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said. The "very large" designation applies to platforms and search engines with more than 45 million monthly active users in the 27-nation bloc, a threshold ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox reported meeting, the commission said. The three now have four months to comply with additional obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a content law that is a major weapon in the legal armoury the EU has deployed to rein in Big Tech in recent years. These include "assessing and mitigating" risks related to "the dissemination of illegal content, the negative effects on minors, users' physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public  security," Brussels said. To bring it under the DSA's regulatory umbrella, the commission qualified ChatGPT as a search engine. 'Proud' The hugely popular artificial intelligence chatbot developed by US company OpenAI reported more than 159 million users in the EU at the end of March, representing over a third of the bloc's population. ChatGPT said it was "preparing to meet the additional compliance requirements" that came with the designation, while Roblox said it was "proud to be the first gaming platform" to gain the "very large" label in the EU. "Safety is foundational to everything we do and we look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with the European Commission," said the US-based platform's general manager for Europe, Joost Hagesteijn. Hugely popular with children and known for its immersive world of colourful graphics, Roblox says it has 46.6 million active players in the EU, just above the DSA threshold for tougher scrutiny. The sprawling US discussion platform Reddit says it has more than 57 million users in the bloc. Heavy fines The designations come as the EU has stepped up regulatory enforcement against the world's biggest digital platforms, including many American ones, despite strong US pushback and threats of retaliation. The EU has separately adopted the world's most far-reaching rules to govern artificial intelligence. Its flagship AI Act entered into force in 2024, with obligations kicking in over several years to curb potentially dangerous uses of the technology. Lena-Maria Boswald, of the German tech think tank Interface, said ahead of ChatGPT's designation that the expected move would set a "precedent" and "influence the regulatory expectations for every large generative AI system used in the EU". "OpenAI already has risk-management obligations under the AI Act, but the DSA could widen the scope," she said. Around 30 services have been listed for extra scrutiny under the DSA, most of them owned by major technology companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon and Shein. The list also includes several porn sites and the collaborative online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Companies found in breach of the law face heavy penalties, including fines of up to six percent of their annual global turnover and, in cases of serious and repeated violations, a possible ban on operating in Europe. The EU recently told TikTok to change what it deemed its addictive design or face large DSA fines. To date, the bloc has hit three firms with penalties under the law: shopping giants Temu and AliExpress, and Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was handed a 120-million-euro ($138 million) fine for transparency and other violations.
ChatGPT Becomes First AI Chatbot to Face Tougher EU Rules
Read More
NASA Launches First Telescope Named after Female Scientist
Japanese PM Takaichi Congratulates President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
PM Urges Japan to Hire Skilled Workers, Offers Land for New Industrial Park
Japan Offers Sympathy Over Flood Victims, Commits to Long-Term Assistance