Australia’s First Orbital Rocket Launch Delayed Again

[{"selector":"#anim-6d73f0f0-2925-490a-8cbd-924f17a3194d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1307b848-437a-4807-8107-a0b26d73f2cb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.55696%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d653d7d0-81b4-4ea5-bf10-6dc516ecf86a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51dc713f-efbc-4018-a9d5-f035a9021d9c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Australia’s First Orbital Rocket Launch Delayed Again Rahul Somvanshi

Ground support system malfunction forces postponement of Australia's first locally built orbital rocket launch just hours before takeoff.

[{"selector":"#anim-cfcea525-6880-4b60-95f5-09d5976cca05","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc2c4ef2-87f9-4c80-b2d9-bab9c232410a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aad08c46-47dc-4412-892c-78f1b7060960","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-69caa243-997c-4b81-ae1f-48500678c216","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c0631c3c-dc20-4154-b892-32a15175546b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Gilmour Space Technologies

The 25-meter Eris rocket sits ready at Bowen, Queensland - 30 tonnes of fuel waiting for Friday's rescheduled attempt at 7:30 AM local time.

[{"selector":"#anim-c28ee400-7f85-462e-b704-2c83c5b876bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-15df51e7-00e3-40b6-963f-c27df4e3898c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.04866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-491f99ff-9dc8-4745-8a94-fa39c7060e3d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51728b68-df88-42e8-b1e3-97bd8eb497eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -111.1955%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28f16345-e7af-4c7e-b2ba-e8c121df4eff","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Getarchive

"No launch today. We're now in an extended hold to work through it," announces Gilmour Space after overnight technical checks reveal the problem.

[{"selector":"#anim-f89b1903-23f1-4ce2-abf8-ad22e6042188","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0030eb11-cb30-4eb9-9848-3be7b3b2f9dd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.58885%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-013a0df4-e1d7-4a90-8b7e-b854b115745f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea524d54-6607-4e9d-a3fc-4c23304d878e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bbe1d73b-b801-4ec9-8d87-fb2602c8f437","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: James Webb (CC BY 2.0)

While rockets launched from Australian soil since 1967, this marks the first attempt by a locally designed and manufactured spacecraft to reach orbit.

[{"selector":"#anim-30173268-2197-45a8-8d7b-2d8852353845","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6caeb355-3a43-415d-b559-e8f0b75cfc4c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.724%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dddad88f-5c8e-42ea-8ac4-b5cf2bf8a226","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b27e1b43-6ac7-4bf5-ae95-3f9f03b7f483","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-024836b7-4e66-4530-a1e2-7a88b3203a3a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credit: Sascha Grant (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

CEO Adam Gilmour compares potential success to "winning an Olympic gold medal" and promises to "buy everyone a beer" in Bowen that night.

[{"selector":"#anim-52aef79d-b3b0-481c-ad8e-61c81c0fde85","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-81cf21cc-98a2-405b-8351-dbe5e6a94eeb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0a4f3aff-494b-4ec2-b362-c2053a1d261b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f80c0ce4-c07e-4bc6-a2fd-f97d2039fdc3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-890d4e77-00cd-4b01-96ca-b83fc70db464","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Adam Gilmour (linkedin)

The Gold Coast brothers transformed their 2013 startup from 12 employees to 200 engineers over four and a half years developing this hybrid engine rocket.

[{"selector":"#anim-97d56c0f-deed-49ea-862a-b287c47e76d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b17f5d1-a5ae-4ebd-b7fb-874f7d92a50c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.724%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ef73510-7043-4c5e-b350-3a7e7b4f12db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b22473a7-9806-4600-ad59-ea9f8f74d872","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8618ccb2-e846-420b-a317-4d3bf62ac462","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA Johnson (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Their unique solid fuel-liquid oxidizer design offers a crucial safety advantage: "If we don't get off the pad, we don't blow up," explains Gilmour.

[{"selector":"#anim-bc7732b4-8c7e-41c3-87b4-a50efa4451ca","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bff13cd0-77db-406b-a831-3cd5bf972a25","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9afcecca-434d-4e6b-9747-dc0bbafa3ab4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-87790693-6570-4ddc-9634-0a48866549ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea0b2b82-b1e4-4e35-a160-df1c915cb783","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Daderot (CC0 1.0)

Failed launches mean building new engines and trying again in two months - not starting from scratch like traditional rockets.

[{"selector":"#anim-4bad6baf-8c85-42d1-9507-736f2fb326e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e56a783-c10b-4d19-977f-0ed75686b84c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.8299%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d18e895e-1f85-47c1-99cd-e1ef4aa6b36d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4a876e5-1749-4382-a344-c367c0eca4c9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-44b2d036-4362-46c5-9d30-bc53cbf88e2c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (CC BY-NC 2.0)

The test payload? A jar of Vegemite and a camera will hurtle 27,500 km/hour to 200 kilometers above Earth during the eight-minute flight.

[{"selector":"#anim-4c5aa3c4-30fa-4525-abfd-8be54a2a52b3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12b64a69-f0f4-4dff-9ee3-d3b33bcc01a3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b8c5f544-43b9-45d1-9115-80467d07c019","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4c2a194e-4a20-4d08-85b7-aa353eaeabdf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a8cc43b-769c-4b97-8c1a-8838e0387e95","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Stratman2 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

No space company reached orbit on their first attempt - even SpaceX needed four tries before succeeding in 2008.

[{"selector":"#anim-080142dd-abd1-4ad4-85ad-74abfbdb0f3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7f7984e-e649-4d58-9568-11766ea20e8c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 245.84677%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7e57e98-ba61-4989-bc10-5549db2de801","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6233710a-e8e2-44ea-b959-322506c787c1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bac87582-9ba1-4275-83c0-7579de759472","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA HQ PHOTO (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The cattle paddock-turned-spaceport location near the equator helps rockets gain extra speed from Earth's rotation for orbital insertion.

[{"selector":"#anim-b7a23728-8a20-4d1b-aa1e-076d3285d684","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7090088-224f-4e96-8c56-c8a6e2494755","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac3758bb-cc32-4f01-9553-2638d2127917","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb495f13-87ee-4cf9-a035-ca77a9570d96","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2391bfc9-96e1-431b-8a77-672e3a573dd0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credit: ThaddeusCes (CC BY-SA 4.0) Learn more

Backed by $600 million valuation and major investors, Gilmour Space targets commercial satellite launches by late 2026 with no live stream planned.

[{"selector":"#anim-2591eccd-6898-4591-bbec-3cabad2caf81","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-769e20c8-3eea-45d9-beea-02818422bb79","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.36915%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39e9bb0f-e542-4a2c-b7f8-518b72535211","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3b0c81a-c80c-4c5d-bed7-940d5ab45d56","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5078552-2338-42ae-96cc-9efd2311c8e2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA Johnson (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-6110468c-162c-40f8-946f-0d8202c089b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec60cb43-43a0-426d-a477-74e1bf3064db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39b0cac2-6a91-4898-a218-298dcb4e2b38","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c633f33-ee3e-42d3-8578-c7091bc37739","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-58ae6c56-9dee-4791-8bb9-1d0ff3ff0f1b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] NASA Finds 15,000 AU Spiral in Oort Cloud Learn more