TOKYO, June 17 (Reuters) - Honda ( HMC ) succeeded in a

launch and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket on

Tuesday, the Japanese company said in a surprise announcement,

marking a milestone towards its 2029 goal of achieving a

suborbital spaceflight.

Honda R&D, the research arm of Japan's second-biggest

carmaker, successfully landed its 6.3-metre (20.6-foot)

experimental reusable launch vehicle after reaching an altitude

of 271 metres (889 feet) at its test facility in northern

Japan's space town Taiki, according to the company.

While "no decisions have been made regarding

commercialization of these rocket technologies, Honda ( HMC ) will

continue making progress in the fundamental research with a

technology development goal of realizing technological

capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029," it said in a

statement.

Honda ( HMC ) in 2021 said it was studying space technologies such

as reusable rockets, but it has not previously announced the

details of the launch test. A suborbital launch may touch the

verge of outer space but does not enter orbit.

Studying launch vehicles "has the potential to contribute

more to people's daily lives by launching satellites with its

own rockets, that could lead to various services that are also

compatible with other Honda ( HMC ) business," the company added.

Reusable launch vehicles have been the driver of emerging

commercial space missions over the past decade, led by SpaceX's

Falcon 9, while its U.S. rivals including Blue Origin and

companies in China and Europe also have reusable rocket plans.

Tokyo-based startup Innovative Space Carrier last month said

it will test-launch a prototype reusable rocket in the United

States in December using an American engine.

Honda's ( HMC ) rival Toyota ( TM ), the world's biggest automaker by

sales, earlier this year announced an investment by its research

arm in Taiki-based rocket maker Interstellar Technologies to

support mass production of launch vehicles.

Japan's government has established a multibillion-dollar

space venture fund to subsidise private rockets, satellites and

other missions, targeting to double its space industry's size to

8 trillion yen ($55.20 billion) by the early 2030s.

($1 = 144.9200 yen)