One Vision, one of Gilmour Space’s prototype launch vehicles. Image supplied.

Advance Queensland Industry Research Award to support fuels system development for Australian-made rocket.

The research fellowship grant has been awarded to Dr. Ingo Jahn from the UQ School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, which will support his work with Gilmour Space to develop and refine fuel feed systems and cycles, according to the company.

“2020 has been a busy year for us as we continue to develop and test the various rocket systems in our orbital launch vehicle,” said Gilmour Space COO and co-founder, James Gilmour.

“We’re grateful to UQ and the government for supporting our efforts to grow a space launch industry here in Queensland and Australia.”

The new partnership will see the research expand following preliminary work funded by the federal Innovation Connections program, and Advance Queensland will additionally fund a PhD researcher for three years to contribute to the project.

“Gilmour Space is pioneering the development of next-generation hybrid rocket technologies that is safer and more cost-effective than traditional chemical-propulsion rockets. It is a significant undertaking that involves many different systems, including the fuel feed system which controls the supply of oxidiser to the rocket engine,” said Dr. Jahn.

Gilmour plans to be launching small satellites into low Earth orbit with its locally designed and manufactured launch vehicles from 2022.

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