First Australian-made rocket comes crashing down minutes into launch

The first Australian-made rocket to attempt to reach orbit from the country crashed just seconds into its flight on Wednesday (30 July). Eris, launched by Gilmour Space Technologies, was designed to carry small satellites to orbit. The test flight was carried out from a spaceport near Bowen in the north of Queensland. Footage showed the 23-metre (75ft) rocket appeared to clear the launch tower and hover in the air before crashing No injuries were reported. Gilmour Space Technologies said: "For a maiden test flight, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia’s sovereign space capability."