Today's launch was the first orbital attempt of any kind from Australian soil in more than 50 years. The most recent such flight came in October of 1971, when a British Black Arrow rocket successfully lofted the United Kingdom's Prospero satellite from the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia.

Gilmour Space's orbital rocket Eris came down quickly after an engine failure this week, but the Australian company behind the attempt is undeterred.