First Australian-Made Rocket Crashes After 14 Seconds of Flight

Australia's first domestically built rocket to attempt orbital launch crashed just 14 seconds after liftoff, though the company still declared the mission a success for igniting all engines and leaving the launch pad. The Associated Press reports: The rocket Eris, launched by Gilmour Space Technologies, was the first Australian-designed and manufactured orbital launch vehicle to lift off from the country and was designed to carry small satellites to orbit. It launched Wednesday morning local time in a test flight from a spaceport near the small town of Bowen in the north of Queensland state. In videos published by Australian news outlets, the 23-meter (75-foot) rocket appeared to clear the launch tower and hovered in the air before falling out of sight. Plumes of smoke were seen rising above the site. No injuries were reported. The company hailed the launch as a success in a statement posted to Facebook. A spokesperson said all four hybrid-propelled engines ignited and the maiden flight included 23 seconds of engine burn time and 14 seconds of flight. 'Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this,' wrote CEO Adam Gilmour on LinkedIn. Gilmour said in February that it was 'almost unheard of' for a private rocket company to successfully launch to orbit on its first attempt.

'This is an important first step towards the giant leap of a future commercial space industry right here in our region,' added Mayor Ry Collins of the local Whitsunday Regional Council.

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