A parrot disrupted the launch of Australia's first space rocket (2 photos)

Shortly before liftoff, the payload fairings of the first Eris rocket built on the continent suddenly opened and fell to the ground while it was on the launch pad. According to preliminary data, a power surge was the cause of the incident. A suspect in the sabotage was identified hot on the trail - a large cockatoo.





"We are not saying that this is the main reason for our power issues... but we are not ruling it out either!" the Eris developer said. The footage shows the bird manipulating elements of the cable system on the launch pad. "This is so Australian!" - one of the commentators on this news on local networks noted.

Strictly speaking, the investigation into the incident has not yet been completed. Gilmour Space Technologies, the company that is creating Australia's national rocket, is required to submit a detailed report to the flight regulator, and simply photos of a cockatoo at the scene of the incident are unlikely to satisfy the responsible authorities.

The Gilmour Eris rocket is designed as a lightweight launch vehicle for launching up to 300 kg of payload into orbit at an altitude of about 200 km. It consists of three stages, the first two of which are equipped with Sirius hybrid engines of our own design - four on the first stage and one on the second. A mixture of solid fuel and liquid oxidizer is used as fuel. This mixture allows for regulating the thrust during combustion, which is necessary to comply with flight modes. The third stage engine (Phoenix) is liquid, also developed by Gilmour Space.



Previously, Australia launched its own satellites with the help of the US and UK. If the country gets its own launch vehicle, it will gain independence in launches. Modern electronics make it possible to create compact and powerful satellites, which are quite sufficient for Australia's needs.