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Australian-Made Rocket Crashes After 14-Second Flight

story

JUL 31

Above: Space operations at the Woomera Range Complex in South Australia on Dec. 4, 2020. Image copyright: MORGAN SETTE/AFP/Getty Images

story last updated 7 days ago

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

This launch is a major breakthrough for Australia's space ambitions, despite the brief flight time. Getting off the launch pad proves the rocket’s core systems work and puts Australia on track to join only six nations capable of regular orbital launches. The 14 seconds of flight data will also directly improve the next vehicle already in production.

Gilmour Space

Government-critical narrative

Eris' failed takeoff shows why Australia cannot compete in space technology with the key players. With just a small number of engineering graduates each year compared to countries like China and India, Australia lacks the required talent pool to independently run major engineering programs, which is why Eris only achieved 14 seconds of flight time.