Australian Rocket That Crashed Had ISRO-Made Engine? No, Viral Claim Is False

Several social media users are circulating a 23-second video, which purportedly shows a rocket crashing in Australia, just 14 seconds after lift-off, claiming that its engine was developed by ISRO.

The archived version of the post can be seen here.

Fact Check

Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Australia satellite launch,” which led us to multiple global media reports, seen here, here and here, stating that an Australian-built rocket had been launched from Australian soil before it crashed back to Earth 14 seconds later. Moreover, we did not come across any media reports or official releases stating that ISRO had collaborated with an Australian company to build a rocket.

“About 8.30am on Wednesday, Gilmour Space Technologies made history when its first orbital rocket, Eris, launched from Bowen in North Queensland. It recorded 14 seconds of flight before crashing back to the ground – a move that was intended by the team. Footage released by Gilmour Space Technologies shows the rocket launching into the air, hovering in the same place for several moments before slowly collapsing back to the ground,” read this news.com.au report, dated July 31, 2025.

“The rocket Eris, launched by Gilmour Space Technologies, was the first Australian-designed and manufactured orbital launch vehicle to lift off from the country and was designed to carry small satellites to orbit. It launched Wednesday morning local time in a test flight from a spaceport near the small town of Bowen in the north of Queensland state,” read the AP report, dated July 31, 2025. Videos of the launch can be seen here and here, confirming that it is the same clip going viral.

We then came across this media release by venture-capital-backed Australian launch services company Gilmour Space Technologies, dated July 30, 2025, stating that the company had completed the maiden test launch of Australia’s first locally designed and built orbital rocket — a major milestone toward offering low-cost, responsive launch services for small satellites globally.”

“The TestFlight 1 campaign was the first integrated attempt of an orbital-class rocket designed and built entirely in Australia. It also marked the first use of the newly licensed Bowen Orbital Spaceport — Australia’s first commercial orbital launch site, built by Gilmour Space to support future missions. Eris was developed almost entirely in-house — including propulsion, structures, avionics, software, and the spaceport itself — on a fraction of the budget available to most global launch companies,” read the press release, which further disproved the viral claim that the rocket launched in Australia had an ISRO-made engine.

Conclusion

The viral claim that an Australian rocket, which recently crashed, had an ISRO-developed engine, was found to be false.

Sources
AP report, July 31, 2025
Media release, Gilmour Space Technologies, July 30, 2025