this morning,Australia's first indigenously designed, manufactured and locally launched rocket "Eris" was launched.Footage taken at the scene showed that the rocket began to slide sideways shortly after ignition, and fell back to the ground only 14 seconds after liftoff. Then a violent explosion occurred, and a huge plume of smoke and dust filled the scene.
However, Gilmour Space, the company that developed the rocket, denied that the mission failed and still announced that the launch was successful. The reasons given were:"All four hybrid propulsion engines were successfully ignited, and the first flight achieved an engine burn time of 23 seconds and a flight duration of 14 seconds."
It is understood that "Eris" is a three-stage small launch vehicle with a total length of about 23-25 meters. It uses lightweight composite materials and modular design and weighs more than 30 tons.
The first and second stages are driven by five "Sirius" solid-liquid hybrid engines, each with a thrust of 115kN. The third stage is equipped with a Phoenix liquid oxygen kerosene engine, which is manufactured using 3D printing technology and is specially designed to enter orbit.
The designed carrying capacity is about 300-400 kilograms, which can transport the carrier to a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 500 kilometers, suitable for the launch needs of small satellites and cubesats.
It was originally planned to fly for the first time in November 2024. However, due to problems such as electrical system failures, the need for fairing replacement, and unsuitable high-altitude wind speeds, the launch was finally carried out on the 30th of this month.
This mission aims to verify the rocket's three-stage structure, hybrid/liquid propulsion system interoperability, control system reliability, and compatibility of ground support facilities. If successful,Australia will become the 12th country in the world to have independent orbital launch capabilities. So do you think this Australian rocket launch was a success?
