Australian Rocket Launch Thwarted by Premature Payload Ejection

Sometimes you try to get to outer space — but then the top of your rocket falls off. It happens. No, really: on Thursday, Australian startup Gilmour Space was forced to call off the maiden launch of its Eris rocket when, just hours before it was supposed to lift off, the nose cone that protects its payload unexpectedly deployed and toppled to the ground, Ars Technica reports. (There aren't photos of the disastrous scene, unfortunately.) "During final launch preparations last night, an electrical fault triggered the system that opens the rocket's nose cone," Gilmour posted on LinkedIn, as quoted by Ars. "This happened before any fuel was loaded into the vehicle. Most importantly, no one was injured, and early checks show no damage to the rocket or the launch pad." Standing around 82 feet tall, Eris is a modestly sized, three-stage rocket designed to carry small satellites to space, with a maximum payload capacity of around 1,100 pounds. It was set to lift off from a private spaceport ... Read full article.