Gilmour Space, an Australia-based startup financed by venture capital, is preparing to launch a small rocket from its privately operated spaceport located along the country’s northeastern coastline.
This marks a historic attempt, as it will be the first instance of a rocket designed and manufactured in Australia aiming to reach orbit. The company’s three-stage rocket, named Eris, is set to launch within a 10-hour window on Friday, local time. For American audiences, this window extends from 5:30 pm EDT on Thursday to 3:30 am EDT on Friday.
The launch follows a 24-hour postponement caused by a problem with the “ground support system,” as reported by Gilmour on Wednesday.
The upcoming flight of the Eris rocket is strictly a test mission. Although Gilmour has previously conducted engine tests and rehearsed the countdown last year—bringing the operation within 10 seconds of an actual launch—the company issued a warning via LinkedIn earlier this week, noting that “test launches are complex.” Additionally, Gilmour emphasized through social media that factors such as weather conditions, system checks, or technical complications could impact the flight schedule, potentially delaying it by hours, days, or even longer.
Founded in 2012 in Gold Coast, Australia, by siblings Adam and James Gilmour, the company transitioned into the space sector after careers in banking and marketing. Gilmour Space now boasts a workforce of over 200 employees, primarily composed of engineers and technicians, many of whom are recent graduates in their 20s. The team also includes a select few seasoned professionals with backgrounds at well-known companies like Rocket Lab, Firefly Aerospace, Avio, and Airbus.
The startup has secured around $90 million in funding, mainly from venture capital sources, aimed at bringing the first Eris rocket to its launch pad. These funds also supported the development of Bowen Orbital Spaceport, Gilmour’s launch facility situated in Queensland. In addition to developing launch vehicles, Gilmour is also focused on creating its own satellite platform, which may be deployed via the Eris rocket or through launches on foreign rockets.
