Gilmour Space Technologies has been performing final system checks before launching its homegrown Eris rocket. The vehicle was poised to become the first orbital launch from Australian soil by a sovereign-built vehicle when it made its debut this week, but the company has stood down from this test campaign for the time being.
The company reported that an unexpected issue triggered the rocket’s payload fairing during overnight checks. A replacement will be dispatched from the company’s Gold Coast facility following an investigation. The anomaly occurred before any fuel was loaded, and Gilmour Space reports that there is no damage to the rocket or the pad.