Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies is set to go where no one has gone before; well, no one in Australia, anyway.
It’s cleared the final hurdle to launching the first Australian-made rocket from Australian soil with the announcement by the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, that the Australian Space Agency has granted the country’s first launch permit.
In Australia, a launch permit is required under the Space (Launches & Returns) Act to send up an object to an altitude of over 100 kilometres. It comes with a number of conditions that must be met before launch, and specifies a mandatory 30-day notification period.
Once a date has been decided—which is expected within a few weeks—the launch will take place from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in north Queensland.
The facility itself was granted Australia’s first orbital launch facility licence by the minister in March and was officially opened by then-Queensland Deputy Premier Cameron Dick a month later.
It was co-funded by Gilmour Space together with the Commonwealth and Queensland governments under the Modern Manufacturing Strategy.
Called the Eris, the orbital launch vehicle is the first Australian-made rocket capable of taking satellites into orbit. It uses a proprietary hybrid-propellant technology that is safer and cheaper and traditional liquid- and solid-fuelled rockets and, if successful, could be the first in the world to use that fuel to achieve orbit.
It will be the first of several planned test launches to reach orbit.
Given only 12 nations in the world have the capability of launching their own rockets to orbit, the company says this is a significant achievement for Australia.
The aim of the mission is to flight test the entire vehicle, from the new hybrid propulsion engines, rocket design and structures, software, avionics and GNC systems, to the ground support systems and infrastructure.
Dubbed TestFlight1, it will also carry a test payload Gilmour Space’s new micro-satellite bus—a platform for space applications that can be used for a variety of missions, including research, emergency communications, and remote sensing.
Successful ‘Dress Rehearsal’
Gilmour Space CEO and co-founder, Adam Gilmour, welcomed the news as a major milestone for the local space industry.“With this green light, we will soon attempt the first orbital test flight of an Australian-made rocket from Australian soil,” he said.
“Our team is assessing the conditions of the permit and will advise on the anticipated launch date for Eris TestFlight1 in the coming week.”
In September, the company announced it had successfully completed a major “wet dress rehearsal” of its Eris launch vehicle, progressing the countdown to T minus 10 seconds.
Since launching its rocket program in 2015, Gilmour Space has expanded to over 200 employees, built a local supply chain of more than 300 Australian companies, attracted substantial private investment, and gained support from local, state, and federal governments.
The Bowen spaceport, one of only a few private orbital launch sites globally, will initially provide access to low- and mid-inclination orbits.
Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said the launch approval “marks an incredible milestone for Bowen and the Whitsundays region.
“The team at Gilmour Space have been fantastic to work with, and their commitment to engaging Bowen residents in this journey is a model of proactive community involvement,” he said.
Options to See The Launch
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he has seen the company grow from a “shed in Pimpama” to the largest space manufacturer in Australia.“That’s why we’ve invested in our Business Attraction & Expansion programs—to support businesses like Gilmour Space,” he said.
“This company is reinvesting in itself and in our city, creating high-value jobs and opportunities for the next generation of Gold Coast innovators. You certainly don’t have to be a rocket scientist to live on the Gold Coast, but if you are, we’ve got a job here for you too.”
The event will not be livestreamed, but the organisers say they hope to release video after the launch.
While Gilmour Space warns that all first rocket launches are unpredictable due to factors such a weather and “unforeseen technical issues.”
It adds that for safety reasons, no one will be allowed in areas where they might see the launch up close. However, there are spots around Bowen where people can watch the rocket after it’s airborne (though they don’t guarantee it).
Locations with easy access and car parking are Coral Beach, Grays Beach, Lions Park, Ethel Barker Park, Queens Beach and Yasso Point, while two spots with elevated views are Watertank Murals and Flagstaff Hill.
