JAXA to start flight tests in June to develop reusable rocket tech english.kyodonews.net

JAXA expects reusability to slash rocket launch costs to around a hundredth of the current 7 billion yen ($66 million), strengthening Japan's competitiveness in aerospace amid growing demand.
The agency has been preparing since 2016 for the flight tests, involving 7-meter long rockets that are 1.8 meters in diameter.
Once the rockets reach a height of 100 meters above ground, they will be controlled to hover, move sideways and land.
In 2022, JAXA plans tests with a larger Callisto rocket that will reach an altitude of 30 kilometers before returning to near its original launch site or an offshore platform.
Japan's rocket launch costs are around 40 percent higher than Space X.