Australia’s first homegrown rocket crashes after 14 seconds

Australia’s first locally made rocket, Eris, crashed just 14 seconds after liftoff during its maiden flight on Wednesday, July 30, The rocket, developed by Gilmour Space Technologies, was the first Australian-designed and built orbital launch vehicle to lift off from Australian soil. It launched from a spaceport near Bowen in northern Queensland. Videos shared by news outlets showed the 23-meter rocket clearing the launch tower before it appeared to hover briefly and then fall, with smoke rising from the area afterward. No injuries were reported. Gilmour Space described the launch as a succ

Australia’s first locally made rocket, Eris, crashed just 14 seconds after liftoff during its maiden flight on Wednesday, July 30, The rocket, developed by Gilmour Space Technologies, was the first Australian-designed and built orbital launch vehicle to lift off from Australian soil. It launched from a spaceport near Bowen in northern Queensland. Videos shared by news outlets showed the 23-meter rocket clearing the launch tower before it appeared to hover briefly and then fall, with smoke rising from the area afterward. No injuries were reported. Gilmour Space described the launch as a success. In a statement, the company said all four hybrid engines ignited properly, achieving 23 seconds of engine burn and 14 seconds of flight. CEO Adam Gilmour expressed optimism despite the short flight, writing on LinkedIn, “Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this.” Earlier this year, he noted that it was “almost unheard of” for a private rocket company to reach orbit on its first try. The company had previously planned launches in May and earlier in July but postponed them due to technical issues and poor weather. Gilmour Space had already said that simply getting the rocket off the ground would be considered a success. The launch site itself remained undamaged. Local leaders echoed the company’s positive outlook. Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins called the launch a “huge achievement,” saying it marked an important first step toward building a commercial space industry in the region. Gilmour Space is backed by private investors and received an AU$5 million ($3.2 million) federal government grant this month to support the Eris project. This follows a larger AU$52 million grant agreement made in 2023 to help develop and commercialize space technology in Australia. Australia has seen many suborbital launches, but only two successful orbital launches have occurred from the country. The Eris test was the first orbital launch attempt from Australian soil in over 50 years, according to aerospace news platform NASASpaceFlight.