Australia’s first-ever rocket crashes after just 14 seconds of flight

Australia's ambitious bid to launch its first domestically built orbital rocket ended in failure on Wednesday, as the Eris vehicle crashed just 14 seconds after lift-off.

Developed by Gilmour Space Technologies, the Eris rocket was designed to carry small satellites into orbit, marking a significant step for the nation's burgeoning space industry.

The launch, a test flight, took place from a spaceport near the town of Bowen in northern Queensland.

Videos circulated by Australian news outlets showed the 23-metre (75-foot) rocket successfully clearing the launch tower before appearing to hover briefly, then falling out of sight.

Plumes of smoke were subsequently observed rising from the site. Fortunately, no injuries were reported following the incident.

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.

Gilmour Space Technologies had planned previous launches of the rocket, in May and earlier this month, but called off those operations because of technical issues and bad weather.

CEO Adam Gilmour said in a statement he was pleased the rocket got off the launchpad.

“Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this,” he wrote 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.

The firm had earlier said it would consider the launch a success if the rocket left the ground. The launch site infrastructure “remained intact,” the statement said.

Mayor Ry Collins of the local Whitsunday Regional Council said the completed launch was a “huge achievement” even though the vehicle didn't reach orbit.

“This is an important first step towards the giant leap of a future commercial space industry right here in our region,” he wrote on Facebook.

Gilmour Space Technologies has private funders and was awarded a 5 million Australian dollar ($3.2 million) grant this month from the country's federal government for the development of the Eris rocket.

It followed the firm's AU$52 million grant agreement with the government in 2023 to advance the development and commercialization of new space technologies in Australia.

The country has been the site of hundreds of suborbital vehicle launches but there have only been two successful launches to orbit from Australia before, according to the aerospace news platform NASASpaceFlight.

The maiden Eris test flight was the first orbital launch attempt from Australia in more than 50 years.