SpaceX Ship 37 Big Firing in Hours! 1st Australian Orbital Rocket finally Launched But Exploded…

Breakthroughs are unfolding fast. Ship 37's long awaited test is nearing with preparations rapidly advancing. But today, the spotlight turns to Australia as it gears up for its first orbital launch. A historic leap forward, though not without its challenges. Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace has secured a new NASA contract for its Blue Ghost lunar lander, marking another major step in commercial space flight. We cover it all on today's episode of Great SpaceX. The ship 37 static fire test was about to begin at the time of this video's release, meaning by the time you finish watching, it may already be complete. To help you follow along more accurately, here are the key updates that were published just before ignition began. Starbase City recently posted updated shoreline closure notices for the 30th and the 31st. Cameron County's Starbase status page confirmed a specific test window showing road closures scheduled daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Early morning testing is expected to maximize daylight visibility, which suggests a high likelihood of launch activities beginning shortly after sunrise. Evidence that the test is definitely on schedule comes from a visible transport stand relocation. After ship 37 was installed on the test stand at pad A on the morning of the 29th, the stand itself was moved to the Hoppy parking lot, clearly to protect it from heat and shock during the upcoming static fire. This relocation also signals that once testing is concluded, the stand will promptly return to assist with ship 37's return to Meabay 2 for final checks and installations. Now let us clarify the expected test sequence. The overall plan includes standard operations such as fueling the vehicle, chilling down the engines to prepare them for propellant flow and conducting various system checks. When all systems are deemed ready, SpaceX will spring the water deluge system to help muffle acoustic vibrations and then proceed to two engine ignition events, a single engine burn and a full six engine burn. Each burn differs in thrust output and duration. These tests are key to verifying engine performance and structural integrity. If all goes as expected, viewers watching this video during the morning hours may witness or catch live coverage of these events. Please drop a wow in the comments if you're hyped to see it happen live. Now, let us move on to the other major story of the day, which is Australia's first attempt at an orbital rocket launch. In a historic step, the Australian space sector has officially joined the orbital launch community. A company named Gilmore Space launched its Aerys rocket from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport located on the coast of Queensland, Australia. The launch occurred at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which corresponds to 8:35 a.m. local time on the 30th of July. Unfortunately, this inaugural mission encountered a significant problem shortly after launch. According to updated footage released by Gilmore Space and others, the rocket's ascent was far slower than anticipated. After leaving the launchpad, the rocket veered to one side and showed signs of instability. Approximately 14 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle lost altitude and fell back to the ground. It reached an altitude of only 50 km before falling. Upon impact, the rocket caught fire and eventually exploded. This kind of failure shares some similarities with Astrospace's third mission in August of 2021, which also struggled with insufficient thrust and flight stability. The probable cause behind the failure may have been underperformance by the engines. It's possible that the engines did not produce enough thrust to sustain flight or that there was a malfunction during engine ignition that affected performance. The thrust vectoring system may also have been misaligned, which would account for the rocket's lateral movement. Gilmore Space has not yet provided a full technical explanation and we will have to wait for more detailed updates from the company to confirm the root cause. It's important to recognize that setbacks are an inevitable part of space flight, especially when new companies attempt to launch brand new rockets. Gilmore Space has little prior experience in full-scale launch operations, so challenges like this are to be expected. Despite the failure, the reaction from Gilmore Space and the broader community has remained optimistic. In their initial statement, the company proudly declared, "Today, Aerys became the first Australian-made orbital rocket to launch from Australian soil. They described the mission as a major step forward for Australia's launch capability." They also noted that the launch team is safe. Critical data has been collected and attention has already shifted to preparations for test flight 2. Gilmore Space called the launch an awesome result for a first test, aligning with its measured expectation. Back in February, the company had made it clear whether they cleared the pad or reached orbit, every second of flight would yield crucial data to enhance future reliability and performance. This attempt is also historic. While Australia has hosted an orbital launch before, which was Britain's Black Arrow in 1971, this marks the first led by an Australian company, making it a milestone moment after more than 50 years. Only a handful of nations have the capacity to build, launch, and operate orbital class rockets. Australia's entry into this elite circle signals growing space autonomy and a potential shift towards launching homegrown payloads without relying on foreign providers. Yet challenges remain. Gilmore must improve critical flight systems like engine reliability, thrust control, and fuel delivery. Scheduling has also proven difficult. Launch was originally planned for March, then delayed by weather, technical issues, and a payload fairing malfunction tied to an electrical back feed. The final attempt came on July 30th. As the company shifts focus to test flight 2, global attention now turns to how Gilmore Space will act on these lessons and accelerate its path back to the launchpad. In the meantime, NASA has just awarded Firefly Aerospace a significant new contract for a lunar lander mission. This marks a major step forward for both NASA's exploration goals and Fireflyy's growing reputation as a key player in commercial space flight. Under this new agreement, Firefly will deliver its fourth Blue Ghost lander mission. this time targeting the moon's south pole, a region of intense scientific interest and strategic value for future human exploration. On the social platform X, Firefly announced the news with great excitement, stating, "We're over the moon to share another Blue Ghost win. Firefly was awarded another NASA CLPS contract for a fourth mission to the moon. We're taking our landing experience to the South Pole with two rovers and three instruments to evaluate the moon's resources. This new mission is part of NASA's commercial lunar payload services initiative which operates under the broader Artemis campaign. The CLPS program is designed to partner with commercial companies to deliver science and technology payloads to the lunar surface. These missions are essential for collecting data that will inform NASA's future crude Artemis landings as well as the establishment of a long-term infrastructure on the moon. According to updates posted by both NASA and Firefly, this particular contract is valued at 176.7 million US. As part of the agreement, Fireflyy's Blue Ghost lander will carry two robotic rovers and three stationary scientific instruments to the moon's south pole in 2029. The selected payloads include the moon ranger micro rover, the CSA rover from the Canadian Space Agency, the laser ionization mass spectrometer, the stereo cameras for lunar plume surface studies, and the laser retroreflector array. Each of these payloads serves a crucial role in preparing for sustainable lunar exploration. For example, the moon ranger and CSA rovers will conduct surveys and sample collection across the rugged terrain. Meanwhile, the mass spectrometer will help determine the chemical composition of surface materials. The stereo cameras will capture detailed imagery of lunar surface interactions, while the retroreflector array will support precision tracking and surface navigation. Collectively, the instruments will focus on key objectives such as evaluating resources like hydrogen and water, characterizing the lunar radiation and thermal environment, and assessing terrain stability. This mission is particularly notable for its collaborative nature. Fireflies lander will deliver international payloads developed in partnership with institutions like the Canadian Space Agency and the University of Burn. Together, these instruments will help build a more complete picture of the moon's south pole, including permanently shadowed regions that may contain frozen water ice and other valuable resources. Access to these materials could prove vital for long-term human habitation and future fuel production on the moon. NASA's Joel Karns, deputy associate administrator for exploration within the science mission directorate, emphasized the importance of the mission, stating, "Through CLPS, NASA is embracing a new era of lunar exploration with commercial companies leading the way. These investigations will produce critical knowledge required for long-term sustainability and contribute to a deeper understanding of the lunar surface, allowing us to meet our scientific and exploration goals for the South Pole region of the moon for the benefit of all. This latest contract represents Firefly Aerospace's fifth task order under CLPS and its fourth lunar lander mission. The company's track record is already impressive. Its first Blue Ghost mission landed successfully on the moon's near side in March of 2025, delivering 10 NASA payloads. A second mission planned for launch in 2026 will combine a lunar orbit satellite deployment with a far side surface delivery. The third mission, currently targeting 2028, will land in the Grood Huezen domes, a unique volcanic region on the moon's near side and carry six science experiments. Reflecting on the new award, Firefly CEO Jason Kim stated, "Firefly is honored to support another NASA CLPS task order as a proven, reliable partner for robotic missions to the moon. Following our first Blue Ghost mission that made history just a few months ago, this bold Firefly team proved we have the right mix of grit, innovation, and dedication to not only stick the landing, but also complete all scientific objectives for our payload partners. We have set the bar high, and we aim to continue setting new records in our missions to come with our active production line of Blue Ghost landers. To support these missions, Firefly has also introduced a new space transfer vehicle known as Elytra Dark. This spacecraft will carry the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit before detaching. Once deployed, Blue Ghost will remain in orbit briefly to act as a communications relay, especially useful for missions targeting the lunar far side or areas with poor direct visibility from Earth. Following this phase, the lander will descend, deploy its payloads, and carry out mission objectives. Regarding the choice of launch vehicle, SpaceX's Falcon 9 is currently the preferred option. Its combination of reliability, lift capacity, and cost efficiency makes it an ideal partner for transporting the Blue Ghost lander and elytra dark into trans lunar injection trajectories. As Firefly continues to build momentum with each mission, this latest step affirms their growing role in the Aremis era of lunar exploration. With advanced lander systems, international partnerships, and a track record of innovation, Firefly is poised to become a cornerstone of the next chapter in humanity's journey beyond Earth. We will be closely following how Firefly executes this complex and highstakes mission with the promise of valuable scientific returns, international collaboration, and cutting edge technology. This mission to the lunar south pole could reshape how we explore, use, and inhabit the moon. Stay tuned to Great SpaceX for all the updates. This has been Kevin. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay up to date with yours truly on the latest milestones in SpaceX's journey. Thank you so much for watching and always remember curiosity, imagination and inspiration will follow you so long as you keep looking up.