Japan's space agency says on July 11, 2026 its prototype reusable rocket completes the first lift-off and landing test, marking a step forward in the cost-cutting technology dominated by SpaceX. The prototype, launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s test site in Noshiro, Akita region, reached a height of about 10 meters (33 feet) where it stayed for 40 seconds and then landed.