New launch window opens for Gilmour Technologies' rocket after safety fixes following month-long delays
A Queensland company is about to join the space race confirming it will finally launch its Eris rocket after months of delays and technical challenges.
Gilmour Technologies confirmed it was targeting July 1 to July 3 for the launch from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, depending on weather conditions.
The locally-built, hybrid-powered rocket, which aims to make history as the first of its kind launched from Australian soil, was previously postponed due to multiple technical issues.
'We've fixed the issue that we had last time with the payload fairing,' said Adam Gilmour, co-Founder and CEO of Gilmour Technologies 7NEWS.
'We've installed a new one that we had in stock.
'We had another issue with telemetry that we've also fixed.
'And then we have done a full test again of the vehicle just to be safe.'
That full-vehicle test unearthed several minor issues, but nothing serious enough to delay preparations.
'We uncovered a couple of small little items that we're fixing now, nothing big dearly. It's just whenever you do a major test, you always see something that you're not happy with,' Gilmour said.
Now, with the rocket nearly ready, the biggest factor standing between Gilmour and liftoff is the wind — especially upper-level winds, which have recently plagued even international launches.
'You might've seen that we just put a satellite up on a SpaceX rocket yesterday,' Gilmour said.
'That launch was delayed three days because of upper-level winds, and we're seeing the same high winds here as well.'
This successful satellite mission, the company's first, was an emotional victory for the team and boosted their confidence ahead of the rocket launch.
'Yeah, that was really good ... We'd made a few prototypes, but we'd never taken them to space,' Gilmour said.
Gilmour said the team had been nervous ahead of the launch of the 100kg-class satellite., noting that many first-time satellites fail to even power on.
While engineers warned it could take up to four days to establish contact, they were relieved to receive signals within just six to eight hours.
'The fact that we can, you know, put it up in a space successfully and test it will be a big milestone for the company,' Gilmour said.
The satellite is designed to monitor Queensland's freshwater systems, looking for signs of algal bloom, a growing issue across the state's catchments.
The rocket rollout is planned for Sunday morning, with fueling and final tests to follow.
While more confident than during the first attempt, Gilmour knows anything can happen on launch day.
'But the thing about rocket launches is you never know until you go,' he said.
'You have to light up all the engines and you have to see what happens.
'And we've never done that before. I think it's going to be pretty nerve wracking as we get down into the final 10 seconds.
'But I'm looking forward to it.
'I'm kind of almost sick of this rocket.
'I want to get it up and away, we've got another one that we're building.'
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