Latest news with #ErisTestFlight1
Sky News AU
30-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Gilmour Space lifts off as Australia's first locally built rocket launches from North Queensland
An Australian company has made history with the launch of the first ever locally-built rocket in Bowen, North Queensland. Gilmour Space Technologies' Eris Test Flight 1 was launched off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport just after 8.30am on Wednesday, marking a milestone in the country's space ambitions despite the rocket collapsing shortly after liftoff in a planned manoeuvre. Though the launch was originally planned for 2022 there were multiple delays due to engineering and regulatory hurdles. Co-founder and CEO Adam Gilmour said the launch was a major win for the company and the country and expressed he was happy with the launch attempt. 'We're happy about it, especially considering the rocket has been sitting ready for a year and a half,' Mr Gilmour said. 'The rocket wasn't designed to do that, and we wanted to get off the pad at minimum.' We had all four engines fire off nicely, the rocket is off the pad now and no visible damage to the pad,' he continued. The launch, years in the making, was hailed as a huge step toward creating a sovereign space industry. Gilmour Space said it hopes to launch its second attempt within six months, with the next rocket already under construction. The mission, while short-lived, collected critical data that will be used to improve future rockets. 'It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,' Mr Gilmour said. 'Every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches.' There's also talk the Bowen launch site could become a major tourism destination, with Adam Gilmour even calling it 'Australia's Cape Canaveral'.
Perth Now
30-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
WATCH: Aussie rocket crashes in historical launch attempt
An attempt for the nation's first orbital launch in over 50 years has come crashing down after an Australian-manufactured rocket exploded within seconds of liftoff. Gilmour Space Technologies conducted the first test launch of its Eris rocket, Australia's first homegrown orbital-class rocket, from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland on Wednesday morning. The rocket exploded after approximately 20 seconds of being in the air. The Gold Coast company faced multiple delays leading up to the launch, mostly due to weather and technical issues, including an electrical fault triggered during final preparations. Co-founder and chief executive Adam Gilmour previously said that the first launch is always the hardest. 'It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,' he said in a statement. 'Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches.' A commentator of the launch live stream can be heard repeating, 'It's going... we're going,' as the rocket blasts into the air before noting, 'it's hovering' as the rocket appears to slow down and drift sideways only seconds later. 'It's gone!' he exclaimed as the rocket crashed back down to the Earth's surface. 'Oh no, it didn't go. There wasn't sufficient thrust to actually keep it up. 'It slid straight off the pad; there wasn't sufficient thrust.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Gilmour Space made history in March last year when its Bowen spaceport was granted the first orbital launch facility licence in Australia, and when it secured the country's first Australian Launch Permit for Eris TestFlight 1 in November. The Nightly has reached out to Gilmour Space for comment.
West Australian
30-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Gilmour Space Technologies: Aussie-made rocket crashes after launch attempt in Bowen, Queensland
An attempt for the nation's first orbital launch in over 50 years has come crashing down after an Australian-manufactured rocket exploded within seconds of liftoff. Gilmour Space Technologies conducted the first test launch of its Eris rocket, Australia's first homegrown orbital-class rocket, from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland on Wednesday morning. The rocket exploded after approximately 20 seconds of being in the air. The Gold Coast company faced multiple delays leading up to the launch, mostly due to weather and technical issues, including an electrical fault triggered during final preparations. Co-founder and chief executive Adam Gilmour previously said that the first launch is always the hardest. 'It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,' he said in a statement. 'Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches.' A commentator of the launch live stream can be heard repeating, 'It's going... we're going,' as the rocket blasts into the air before noting, 'it's hovering' as the rocket appears to slow down and drift sideways only seconds later. 'It's gone!' he exclaimed as the rocket crashed back down to the Earth's surface. 'Oh no, it didn't go. There wasn't sufficient thrust to actually keep it up. 'It slid straight off the pad; there wasn't sufficient thrust.' Gilmour Space made history in March last year when its Bowen spaceport was granted the first orbital launch facility licence in Australia, and when it secured the country's first Australian Launch Permit for Eris TestFlight 1 in November. The Nightly has reached out to Gilmour Space for comment.
