Gilmour Space launches Australian-made rocket
The test flight of the rocket, which was intended to be the country's first to reach orbit in 50 years, follows multiple delays caused by weather conditions and technical setbacks. While the rocket launch fell well short of its goal, the company's leader still called the test a success.
"Got off the Pad , I am happy," Adam Gilmour, the company's CEO said in a social media post. "Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this."
A video of the launch posted online shows the rocket rising from a cloud of exhaust and remaining in the sky for a matter of seconds before it lost momentum and dropped back down.
The Eris is the first Australian-made rocket to attempt to orbit the planet and was launched from a spaceport in Bowen, Queensland, according to the company's website.
The launch drew spectators who cheered the home-grown company's attempt to put a rocket in space, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.
"If they're talking about more satellites going up, it would have to help Bowen's economy in the long term," resident Douglas Tawse told the broadcaster.
Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland astrobiologist and astronomer, told the news outlet that the test by Gilmour Space demonstrated that the space industry had mature, moving beyond an era when only government agencies were able to launch rockets.
"In the last decade or so, there has been very much an explosion in our use of space, and that's been because there has been a shift to commercial capacity to put things into orbit," he said.
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