Gilmour Space signs first Aussie payload

By on 9 September, 2020

James Gilmour, Adam Gilmour, Peter Kinne from Gilmour Space, and Rajat Kulshrestha from Space Machines Company on screen.

Queensland-based rocket company Gilmour Space Technologies has secured the first Australian customer for its maiden Eris rocket launch scheduled for 2022.

Adelaide-based Space Machines Company has signed on to launch a 35kg spacecraft to orbit, marking the largest payload yet announced by an Australian space company.

“This could well be the first Australian payload to be launched to orbit on an Australian rocket, from an Australian launch site,” said Adam Gilmour, co-founder and CEO of Gilmour Space Technologies.

Though little is widely known about Space Machines Company, it is described as developing in-space transportation capabilities to cost-effectively insert small satellites into desired low earth orbits, geostationary earth orbits and Cis-Lunar (Moon) orbits.

“We are delighted to be supporting Gilmour’s first commercial flight and being part of this important milestone in the development of Australia’s space industry,” said Space Machines Company co-founder and CEO Rajat Kulshrestha.

Space Machines Company’s OT-S spacecraft.

Australia has been a late entrant into the commercial space market, though increased investment in small, agile companies and the recent formation of the Australian Space Agency are helping domestic players get a piece of the $500 billion-a-year global space economy.

Gilmour’s first Eris rockets will be launching payloads up to 305 kg into low earth orbits – 215 kg into 500 kilometres sun synchronous orbits or 305 kg into 500 km equatorial orbits.

“We’ve closed two commercial launch contracts in the last few months, and are targeting 12 rockets a year by 2025,” said Adam Gilmour of Gilmour Space. “It’s clear to us that the Australian space industry is ready for launch.”

Stay up to date by getting stories like this delivered to your mailbox.
Sign up to receive our free weekly Spatial Source newsletter.

You may also like to read:


, , , , , , , ,


Newsletter

Sign up now to stay up to date about all the news from Spatial Source. You will get a newsletter every week with the latest news.

Interview: Tori Murrant, GIS analyst
Having stumbled across the geospatial sector at university, ...
Testing SouthPAN and commercial GNSS services
UNSW surveying students were challenged to put a range of So...
Here’s what’s in our latest issue!
Learn about the metaverse, mapmaking, 3D scanning, RINEX, hy...
Modern Methods of Construction Roadshow
The events will show how the latest software, tools and tech...
Real-time LiDAR mapping system
The Brumby LiDAR rapidly produces point clouds by removing t...