Latest news with #Eris
UPI
41 minutes ago
- Science
- UPI
Gilmour Space launches Australian-made rocket
July 29 (UPI) -- Australian aerospace company Gilmour Space on Wednesday launched its Eris 1 rocket, which crashed shortly after taking off. 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.
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- Science
- The Guardian
‘We have a cloud, and that's the end': first Australian-made orbital rocket crashes shortly after takeoff
The spaceship hovered for less than a minute before crashing in a giant plume of smoke, but it was history-making nonetheless – the attempted launch of an orbital rocket designed and made in Australia. The Eris rocket was built by Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space and briefly blasted off from the Bowen orbital spaceport in north Queensland on Wednesday morning, after months of waiting for the right conditions. The orbit attempt was watched on from the surrounding hills by enthusiasts and streamed live by the likes of YouTuber Josh Keegan, also known as Aussienaut. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'OK we're going, we're going, it's going!' Keegan said with breathless excitement after a second day of patient watching – but the celebrations did not last long. 'It's gone, it's gone,' Keegan said seconds later. 'Oh no, it didn't go, there wasn't sufficient thrust to actually keep it up. 'I believe that's the end of the Eris rocket. We have a cloud, and that's the end.' But while the billow of smoke may have marked the end of Eris, Gilmour and the nascent Australian space industry hope this failed orbit attempt will prove just a beginning. Gilmour Space issued a statement shortly afterwards saying Eris's 14 seconds of flight brought Australia closer to the club of six nations who regularly launch spacecraft to orbit. 'For a maiden test flight, especially after an extended 18-month wait on the pad for final approvals, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia's sovereign space capability,' the statement read. 'Most importantly, the team is safe and energised for Test Flight 2.' The company's CEO, Adam Gilmour, posted on social media that he was happy with the launch attempt. 'Got off the Pad, I am happy,' he wrote. 'Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The 23-metre-long, 30-tonne rocket was covered in sensors from which the Queensland company will hope to glean information to assist future launch attempts. One Giant Leap Australia Foundation, which develops education programs geared toward growing a future workforce in the space industry, was among those to congratulate Gilmour Space for a 'sterling effort'. 'The only way to learn is to fail forward,' it posted on social media. 'We know more today than we did yesterday.' Gilmour Space was poised to launch on Tuesday but winds were too strong. It had also sought to launch in May but did not. The company received $5m from the Australian government for its Eris launch vehicle last week to develop its next-generation liquid rocket engine.
Perth Now
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Rocket launches in Australian first
The first Australian-built rocket has been launched from Australian soil before crashing back to Earth. About 8.30am on Wednesday, Gilmour Space Technologies made history when its first orbital rocket, Eris, launched from Bowen in North Queensland. It recorded 14 seconds of flight before crashing back to the ground, a move that was intended by the team. Gilmour Space Technologies successfully launched Eris on Wednesday. Credit: Supplied Speaking to the The Courier-Mail, co-founder and chief executive officer Adam Gilmour said he was 'happy' with the test flight result. The rocket had been sitting at the spaceport for more than a year, with numerous attempts to launch made in early 2025. However, previous test flight attempts were postponed due to external factors, including strong winds and technical issues. The flight lasted 14 seconds. Credit: Supplied 'The rocket wasn't designed to (sit in one spot), and we wanted to get off the pad at minimum,' he told the outlet. 'We had all four engines fire off nicely, we avoided the pad, the rocket is off the pad now and no visible damage to the pad.' The space technologies company will plan a second test launch in six months. Krystal Hender Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Gilmour said since the rocket avoided landing on the pad, the company would likely be able to launch a second test flight in about six months. Online, the Gilmour Space Technologies crew said the test flight was a 'big step for (Australian) launch capability'. 'Team safe, data in hand, eyes on TestFlight 2,' the post read. Mr Gilmour said it was 'almost unheard of' for a private company to launch a rocket ship to orbit the first time around. '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,' he said.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Australian-made orbital rocket crashes after launch in Queensland
After months of waiting for the right conditions, an Australian-designed and made orbital rocket launched from the shores of tropical north Queensland. Built by the Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space, the Eris rocket briefly blasted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on Wednesday morning, hovering for less than a minute before crashing in a giant plume of smoke
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Science
- News.com.au
Gilmour Space Technologies launches rocket ship in Australian first
The first Australian-built rocket has been launched from Australian soil before crashing back to Earth. About 8.30am on Wednesday, Gilmour Space Technologies made history when its first orbital rocket, Eris, launched from Bowen in North Queensland. It recorded 14 seconds of flight before crashing back to the ground, a move that was intended by the team. Speaking to the The Courier-Mail, co-founder and chief executive officer Adam Gilmour said he was 'happy' with the test flight result. The rocket had been sitting at the spaceport for more than a year, with numerous attempts to launch made in early 2025. However, previous test flight attempts were postponed due to external factors, including strong winds and technical issues. 'The rocket wasn't designed to (sit in one spot), and we wanted to get off the pad at minimum,' he told the outlet. 'We had all four engines fire off nicely, we avoided the pad, the rocket is off the pad now and no visible damage to the pad.' Mr Gilmour said since the rocket avoided landing on the pad, the company would likely be able to launch a second test flight in about six months. Online, the Gilmour Space Technologies crew said the test flight was a 'big step for (Australian) launch capability'. 'Team safe, data in hand, eyes on TestFlight 2,' the post read. Mr Gilmour said it was 'almost unheard of' for a private company to launch a rocket ship to orbit the first time around. '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,' he said.
