NOSHIRO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Japan's space agency tested a prototype of a reusable rocket in Akita Prefecture in the country's northeast on Saturday, paving the way for cutting the costs of future space launches.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's RV-X rocket landed successfully after reaching a maximum height of around 11 meters and moving about 16 meters horizontally in the test conducted at a facility in Noshiro. The RV-X flew for about 40 seconds.

"The flight test went well. I feel relieved," said project manager Takashi Ito in an online press conference.

U.S. company SpaceX has commercialized reusable rocket technology with its two-stage Falcon9 rocket.

JAXA said it will use the results of Saturday's test for the design of its Callisto reusable vehicle being jointly developed with France and Germany.

A flight test of the Callisto vehicle, which is equipped with the same engine as the RV-X, is scheduled before next April, with the aim of attempting a landing from a greater height than Saturday's test.

According to JAXA, the RV-X measures around 7.3 meters in length and about 1.8 meters in diameter. It has four landing legs.

Given that the H3 rocket, the country's mainstay space vehicle, can only be used once, Japan has been seeking to develop reusable technology to increase satellite launches while reducing costs.

Last year, Honda R&D Co., a subsidiary of automaker Honda Motor Co., conducted a successful flight test of a reusable rocket, the first such test by Japan's private sector.