The top fell off Australia’s first orbital-class rocket, delaying its launch

The Eris rocket, a groundbreaking spacecraft developed by Australian startup Gilmour Space, experienced an unexpected setback during its first launch preparation in Queensland, Australia—nose cone deployment failed due to an electrical malfunction before fuel was even loaded. Despite the incident, no one was injured, and preliminary assessments indicate no visible damage to the rocket or the launch pad. Gilmour has expressed confidence that they are well-prepared for their upcoming first test flight later that day.