Gilmour's Eris, the first Australian-built orbital rocket, falls back 14 seconds after liftoff

Gilmour Space Technologies/Eris

Eris lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, arced away from the pad, drifted sideways and came down in an uncontrolled touchdown after 14 seconds. It was the first launch attempt of an Australian-designed orbital rocket and the spaceport's first use. CEO Adam Gilmour called getting off the pad a huge step and said the next vehicle was already in production.

• The rocket was about 23 m tall and 30 t, with hybrid propulsion.
• The launch window had first been set for May 2024.
• Gilmour noted SpaceX and Rocket Lab also needed several tries to reach orbit.