On its first test flight, a reusable Japanese experimental rocket took off and landed safely today, Saturday, as part of the country’s quest to possess this vital technology to reduce launch costs and compete in the global space market dominated by the American company SpaceX.

The RV-X rocket took off, hovered in place, then moved horizontally before landing, during a flight that lasted less than one minute, at the Noshiro Test Center of the Aerospace Exploration Agency in northeastern Japan, a process that was broadcast live over the Internet by the “NVS” group made up of space enthusiasts, according to the “Associated Press.”

Takashi Ito, director of the “Reusable Missiles Project” at the agency, said that the missile flew according to the planned plan, as it rose a distance of 11 meters (36 feet) and moved horizontally a distance of 16 meters (52 feet) while maintaining its vertical position before landing.

Japan has been seeking to catch up with the technology that SpaceX, owned by billionaire American businessman Elon Musk, has been using for several years to reduce the costs of launching and transporting payloads into space.

Today’s flight, Saturday, is a step forward for Japan towards possessing the necessary technology to develop a low-cost alternative to replace the current “H3” series of missiles that the country relies on and is used only once.