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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Anthony Cuthbertson

Japan lands SpaceX-style reusable rocket for first time

SpaceX Japan Jaxa China the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The Reusable Vehicle eXperiment, known as RV-X, is seen in a test launch at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in Noshiro, northern Japan, 11 July, 2026 - (AP)

Japan’s space agency has successfully landed an experimental reusable rocket in a feat pioneered by SpaceX.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) flew its Reusable Vehicle eXperiment (RV-X) rocket at its Noshiro Testing Center in northeastern Japan over the weekend, lifting it 11 metres off the ground before landing it in an upright position 16 metres away.

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