Overview
- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's RV-X prototype lifted, hovered to about 10 meters and landed successfully in a short test at Noshiro on Saturday.
- JAXA said the roughly 7.3‑meter, 1.8‑meter‑diameter vehicle used durable engines and four shock‑absorption landing legs and that the flight lasted around 40 seconds.
- Agency engineers will analyze telemetry from the test to guide progressively higher RV-X flights, with the next target altitude about 100 meters.
- Results from the RV-X program will feed design work for Callisto, a JAXA‑France‑Germany reusable vehicle that is slated for a flight demonstration before next April.
- The test responds to pressure to cut launch costs for Japan's single‑use H3 launcher, follows private Japanese reusable tests and comes after a separate Chinese first‑stage recovery claim that heightens international competition.