Australia's First Rocket Suffered Failure During Launch

• The first Eris rocket failed to reach orbit and fell back 14 seconds after liftoff.
• Gilmour Space confirmed the absence of post-launch incidents and serious malfunctions on the launch pad.
• The next Eris rocket is already in the manufacturing stage, but the launch will be delayed until the investigation of the failure is completed.

This is reported by Ars Technica, Jalopnik.

On July 30, 2025, in the Queensland state, the private company Gilmour Space conducted the first launch of its Eris rocket. This launch was an important milestone in the development of Australia’s space program. However, the rocket failed to reach orbit and fell back 14 seconds after liftoff.

The rocket, standing 25 meters tall, lifted off from the launch pad at 6:35 PM Eastern Time (ET). Immediately after liftoff, two of its four engines failed, causing the rocket to lose lift and crash into the nearby field, raising a cloud of smoke over the launch site.

Gilmour Space confirmed that no one was injured as a result of the incident, and the launch pad itself did not sustain serious damage. The company’s CEO, Adam Gilmour, noted that while they did not expect a successful orbit, they consider the 14 seconds of flight a positive result.

The Eris rocket is designed to carry payloads of up to 305 kilograms to low Earth orbit. This launch is part of Australia’s efforts to return to space launches on its own territory, as the last rocket lifted off from Australian soil in 1971.

Currently, the company is working on the next Eris rocket, whose construction has been completed, but the manufacturing of engines will be delayed until the cause of the first rocket’s failure is identified. Gilmour hopes for a new launch in January or February 2026.

Tags: Technology/Space