Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies has received the first Australian orbital launch permit for its maiden Eris rocket launch from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in north Qld.
An Australian launch permit is required under the Space (Launches & Returns) Act 2018 to launch an object from Australia to an altitude of over 100 kilometres.
It comes with a number of conditions that must be met before launch, and a mandatory 30-day notification period.
‘With this green light, we will soon attempt the first orbital test flight of an Australian-made rocket from Australian soil,’ said Gilmour Space CEO and co-founder, Adam Gilmour.
Wet dress rehearsal
‘Our team is assessing the conditions of the permit and will advise on the anticipated launch date for Eris TestFlight1 in the coming weeks.’
In September, the company announced it had successfully completed a major wet dress rehearsal of its Eris launch vehicle, progressing the countdown to T-10 seconds. The upcoming TestFlight1 will be the first of several planned test launches to reach orbit with Eris, which leverages new propulsion technologies developed by the Gold Coast-based company.
Gilmour Space Technologies was started in 2013 as a company advancing sovereign capabilities in launch vehicles, satellites, and access to space and began its rocket building program in 2015.
It designs and builds rockets and satellites on the Gold Coast to be launched from the private orbital spaceport in Bowen, Qld. Its north Queensland spaceport, one of only a few private orbital launch sites globally, will initially provide access to low- and mid-inclination orbits.
‘The launch approval marks an incredible milestone for Bowen and the Whitsundays region,’ said Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor, Ry Collins.
‘The team at Gilmour Space have been incredible to work with, and their commitment to engaging Bowen residents in this journey is a model of proactive community involvement. Success here isn’t just about reaching orbit – it’s about positioning Bowen as a key player in Australia’s journey to space. This is just the beginning.’
Pimpama start
Gold Coast Mayor, Tom Tate, 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 and Expansion programs – to support businesses like Gilmour Space’, he said. ‘This homegrown 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 [or in Main Arm], but if you are, we’ve got a job here for you too!’
For updates on TestFlight1, visit gspace.com/missions.
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