Gilmour Space announces launch window, hoses down expectations

Gold Coast-based  Gilmour Space Technologies has announced a launch window starting ‘no earlier than’ March 15 for the maiden flight of its Eris launch vehicle, the first Australian-designed and built rocket aiming for orbit. Eris will go into orbit from the company’s Bowen Orbital Spaceport in north Queensland.

The news follows final airspace approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia, clearing the last regulatory hurdle before launch. It also marks the culmination of years of innovative R&D and manufacturing by company, which developed the Eris launch vehicle and the Bowen spaceport, the company says.

The Bowen spaceport last year was granted the first orbital launch facility licence in Australia. Gilmour Space also and when it secured the country’s first Australian Launch Permit for Eris TestFlight 1 in November. Now, with airspace arrangements finalised and mandatory notice given to the Australian Space Agency, the company is preparing for liftoff, it adds.

“This will be the first attempt of an Australian rocket to reach orbit from Australian soil,” said Adam Gilmour, co-founder and CEO of Gilmour Space. The company is backed by private investors including Blackbird, Main Sequence, Fine Structure Ventures, Queensland Investment Corporation, and superannuation funds like HESTA, Hostplus, and NGS Super.

With the March 15 window fast approaching, however, Mr. Gilmour was keen to play down unrealistic expectations before launch.

Firstly, it’s important to understand that delays or ‘scrubs’ are a normal part of rocket launches, he explained. These can last anywhere from hours to days, or even weeks, and are often caused by weather conditions, technical issues, or other factors. “Safety is always the top priority. We’ll only launch when we’re ready, and when conditions are appropriate,” he said emphatically.

Secondly, the first launch is always the hardest. Reaching orbit is a highly complex engineering challenge, and every successful rocket company has faced setbacks in their early attempts—SpaceX, for one, did it on their fourth attempt. “It’s almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time. Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what’s important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket’s reliability and performance for future launches,” he added.

Thirdly, this is the road we must take to build sovereign space capability that’s critical for Australia’s future, Mr Gilmour pointed out. Launching Australian-owned and controlled rockets from home soil means more high-tech jobs, greater security, economic growth, and technological independence. “Only six countries in the world are launching regularly to space using their own technology, and Australia could soon be one of them.”

Finally, he said, “I want to thank our incredible team at GIlmour Space for all their hard work and dedication in getting to this critical first flight. Whatever happens next, know that you’ve already made history—we now build rockets in Australia. And this is only the beginning.”