Latest news with #GilmourSpace
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Science
- West Australian
Unlikely suspect caught red-handed over failed rocket launch in Bowen, Qld
An unlikely suspect has been caught red-handed during an investigation to find out what caused an electrical issue that delayed the first Australian-made rocket launch in Queensland. Gilmour Space Technologies was due to launch its 23m Eris rocket on May 15 from a cattle paddock in Bowen, but it was aborted after an issue in the ground support system was identified. It was set to launch again the following day, but an electrical issue triggered the system to open the rocket's nose cone. Gilmour Space posted a photo of a suspect cockatoo chewing electrical wires at its launch pad in Bowen. 'Not saying this is the root cause of our electrical issues … but we're not ruling him out,' a spokesman said in the post. The post has been flooded with comments from people saying, 'Lucky he didn't launch, could have turned into a flamin' galah.' 'Only an Sulphur crested could stop a rocket from launching,' another person said. 'So computers have bugs and rockets have cockatoos,' a person commented. 'New thunder bird in Action!' another said. 'The single most destructive parrot/cockatoo of all time.' The test flight would have been the first time an Australian-made rocket had been launched into orbit, carrying a jar of Vegemite of course. A new launch window will be announced by the company once confirmed. Gilmour Space chief executive officer Adam Gilmour said the good news was their team and rocket were both fine. 'While we're disappointed by the delay, we're already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon,' he said. 'This is all part of the journey.'
Perth Now
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bizarre reason for rocket launch delay
An unlikely suspect has been caught red-handed during an investigation to find out what caused an electrical issue that delayed the first Australian-made rocket launch in Queensland. Gilmour Space Technologies was due to launch its 23m Eris rocket on May 15 from a cattle paddock in Bowen, but it was aborted after an issue in the ground support system was identified. It was set to launch again the following day, but an electrical issue triggered the system to open the rocket's nose cone. An electrical issue forced a planned rocket launch to be delayed. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia Gilmour Space posted a photo of a suspect cockatoo chewing electrical wires at its launch pad in Bowen. 'Not saying this is the root cause of our electrical issues … but we're not ruling him out,' a spokesman said in the post. The post has been flooded with comments from people saying, 'Lucky he didn't launch, could have turned into a flamin' galah.' 'Only an Sulphur crested could stop a rocket from launching,' another person said. 'So computers have bugs and rockets have cockatoos,' a person commented. 'New thunder bird in Action!' another said. 'The single most destructive parrot/cockatoo of all time.' A cockatoo has copped the blame for a failed rocket launch. Gilmour Space Technologies Credit: Supplied The test flight would have been the first time an Australian-made rocket had been launched into orbit, carrying a jar of Vegemite of course. A new launch window will be announced by the company once confirmed. Gilmour Space chief executive officer Adam Gilmour said the good news was their team and rocket were both fine. 'While we're disappointed by the delay, we're already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon,' he said. 'This is all part of the journey.'
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Unlikely suspect caught red-handed over failed rocket launch in Bowen, Qld
An unlikely suspect has been caught red-handed during an investigation to find out what caused an electrical issue that delayed the first Australian-made rocket launch in Queensland. Gilmour Space Technologies was due to launch its 23m Eris rocket on May 15 from a cattle paddock in Bowen, but it was aborted after an issue in the ground support system was identified. It was set to launch again the following day, but an electrical issue triggered the system to open the rocket's nose cone. Gilmour Space posted a photo of a suspect cockatoo chewing electrical wires at its launch pad in Bowen. 'Not saying this is the root cause of our electrical issues … but we're not ruling him out,' a spokesman said in the post. The post has been flooded with comments from people saying, 'Lucky he didn't launch, could have turned into a flamin' galah.' 'Only an Sulphur crested could stop a rocket from launching,' another person said. 'So computers have bugs and rockets have cockatoos,' a person commented. 'New thunder bird in Action!' another said. 'The single most destructive parrot/cockatoo of all time.' The test flight would have been the first time an Australian-made rocket had been launched into orbit, carrying a jar of Vegemite of course. A new launch window will be announced by the company once confirmed. Gilmour Space chief executive officer Adam Gilmour said t 'While we're disappointed by the delay, we're already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon,' he said. 'This is all part of the journey.'
7NEWS
27-05-2025
- Science
- 7NEWS
Cockatoo caught on camera near wires at Queensland rocket launch site amid technical troubles
Cow paddocks, Vegemite and now a cockatoo — Gilmour Space Technologies' latest failed rocket launch couldn't get more Aussie. The Queensland aerospace trailblazer was forced to cancel the highly anticipated launch of its 23-metre Eris rocket on May 16 due to a last-minute electrical fault. Almost two weeks after the start of Australia's first locally-made rocket from the purpose-built Bowen Orbital Spaceport on a former cow paddock was abruptly aborted, an unlikely suspect has emerged: a cheeky cockatoo caught on camera suspiciously close to some critical wiring. Gilmour Space themselves shared a photo of the curious cockatoo on Facebook with a cheeky caption: 'Not saying this is the root cause of our electrical issues ... but we're not ruling him out!' Comments flooded in, mixing humour with disbelief: 'Lucky he didn't launch, could have turned into a flamin' galah,' one said. Another quipped, 'So computers have bugs and rockets have cockatoos.' Another commented, 'Could this be any more Aussie?' Adding to the Aussie flavour, the rocket's payload included a jar of Vegemite — the iconic salty yeast spread that's a staple in homes across the country. Some say the cockatoo might have been lured by the unmistakable aroma. 'It can smell the Vegemite, how Australian,' one Facebook post said. While the bird hasn't been officially named the culprit, Gilmour Space confirmed it might have been 'at best a contributing factor' in the electrical fault that led to the launch being called off. Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox summed it up: 'This is what happens – in all seriousness – when you are launching a rocket out in the elements.' Gilmour Space told 7NEWS they're continuing to investigate the issues and making good progress toward fixes. 'Our team is continuing to investigate the issues identified during our last launch attempt. 'We're making good progress and expect to begin implementing fixes soon. 'We'll share an update on the next launch window as soon as it's confirmed.'
ABC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Regional rocket launch delayed but experts say there are opportunities for Australia in the space race
Since the 1960s Australia has played a pivotal role in history's biggest space missions, not least in helping NASA bring live television images of the first moonwalk to the world. But our own space industry has never really achieved orbit. While Australia has a long history of supporting space exploration, we've struggled to establish our own industry due to a lack of sustained investment and clear national strategy, according to Swinburne University's Dr Rebecca Allen. "Back in the days of the space race, there was a political motivation to be the first ones on the moon and show that we could beat the Soviets," Dr Allen says. "Playing this kind of supporting role made sense because of where we are. Gilmour Space Technologies has that motivation — but suffered from a failure to launch this week. The company's Eris rocket launch was canned twice due to technical issues and a third attempt has been set for next month. Dr Allen says the launch of Eris — whether or not it makes it into orbit — shows Australia can stand on its own two feet when it comes to designing and building rockets. "We have real expertise in designing and manufacturing aerospace vehicles and I think it's a chance to demonstrate that Australia is not just a supporting player," she says. The Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) is the peak body for the sector and says the global space economy is projected to reach $US1.8 trillion by 2035. But chief executive Dan Lloyd says Australia remains a "customer" of global space technology, while its peers have developed clear and ambitious policies. "Our geography is an amazing natural advantage, and we need to make sure that we capture an opportunity that's bigger than just renting our dirt," he says. Mr Lloyd says Eris is a major milestone for Australia's space industry and an opportunity to develop an ambitious and future-focused space policy. "The industry is building to a critical mass," he said. Beyond economic opportunities, Mr Lloyd says the growing number and severity of natural disasters shows a real need to develop our own capabilities. "Other countries that have significant investments and presence in space can get live satellite feeds and predictive monitoring that help to anticipate and manage bushfires," he said. Australia mostly borrows and buys this service from overseas, which can create a real problem during times of natural disaster, according to Mr Lloyd. "There have been situations where Australia really needed live feeds of significant bushfires, but our international partners had challenges of their own and had to divert resources," he says. In an era of increasing global instability, Mr Lloyd says it's important that Australia works to "fill those gaps". Enrico Palermo, the head of the Australian Space Agency, said in a statement that the group was focused on "creating the right conditions" for the local space industry. "This includes streamlining regulation, as well as agreements that open international investment opportunities like the Technology Safeguards Agreement with the United States," Mr Palermo said. That agreement allows US space technology to be launched from Australia, a move aimed at making the region more attractive for launching rockets and satellites. There are around 10,000 active satellites in orbit but, less than a decade ago, there was only a fifth of that. Billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink network accounts for more than 7,000 of those satellites — forming a "constellation" with the aim of providing global mobile broadband. Companies like Amazon are planning their own satellite constellations, and China is aiming to send tens of thousands of satellites into orbit over the next decade. Mr Lloyd says the growing amount of "space junk" circling the planet is a huge challenge that no one has a good solution for. But that challenge also represents opportunity. "There are phenomenal Australian companies in research and development looking at harvesting space junk and potentially recycling it to use the conductive metals as new forms of propulsion in space," Mr Lloyd says. Mr Lloyd says Australia should focus on niche parts of the industry, like space junk harvesting, to differentiate itself from other countries.
