Australia attempts its 1st orbital rocket launch in 50 years
Australia just tried its first orbital rocket launch in over 50 years with the Eris rocket from Gilmour Space Technologies.
Sadly, the rocket veered off course and crashed just 14 seconds after liftoff from Queensland.
Still, this attempt marks a big step for Aussie space dreams.
The Eris rocket was designed to carry small satellites into orbit
Eris was designed to carry small satellites into orbit—up to 215kg at a time.
The launch faced delays thanks to wild weather and technical hiccups, but even though it failed early, engineers got useful engine data that'll help next time.
Gilmour Space has been building rockets and satellites since 2015
Gilmour Space isn't new—they've been building rockets and satellites since 2015 and even launched ElaraSat on a SpaceX rideshare recently.
This test flight is a milestone for homegrown space tech, paving the way for more launches (and hopefully smoother ones) soon.