Overview
- The Eris rocket lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on July 30, marking Australia’s first domestically developed orbital launch attempt.
- All four hybrid-propulsion engines ignited, delivering a 23-second burn and sustaining flight for 14 seconds before an early mission termination.
- Gilmour Space Technologies declared the launch a partial success, noting that the data collected will guide system improvements.
- The Bowen facility, Australia’s first licensed commercial orbital launch site, demonstrated operational readiness despite earlier weather and technical delays.
- Backed by an A$5 million federal grant, Gilmour Space plans a follow-up TestFlight 2 in the coming months using insights from the maiden flight.