Gilmour Space, a private Australian startup, is on the verge of making history with the launch of its first rocket, named Eris, from its own spaceport on the northeastern coast of Australia. This will be the first attempt to reach orbit using a rocket fully designed and built in Australia.
The launch, which was delayed 24 hours due to a ground support issue, could happen during a 10-hour window starting Friday local time (Thursday 5:30 PM to Friday 3:30 AM EDT in the US).
A Test Flight with Modest Goals
This initial launch is a test flight. While the Eris rocket has already completed engine tests and rehearsals—including a countdown that got within 10 seconds of liftoff last year—Gilmour is keeping expectations realistic. In a social media post, the company emphasized that this mission is about gathering critical data and not necessarily reaching orbit on the first try.
Michelle Gilmour, the company’s head of marketing, explained that just getting the rocket off the launch pad and achieving 10–20 seconds of stable flight would be considered a success.
A Homegrown Effort
Founded in 2012 by brothers Adam and James Gilmour—both of whom came from banking and marketing backgrounds—Gilmour Space is based in Gold Coast and now employs over 200 people, mostly young engineers. The team also includes aerospace veterans from Rocket Lab, Airbus, and other space companies.
The company has raised about $90 million from venture capital, which funded both the Eris rocket and the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland. Gilmour is also developing a small satellite platform that could launch on Eris or other rockets.
A Unique Rocket Design
Standing 82 feet (25 meters) tall, Eris is a three-stage rocket designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit. It uses hybrid rocket engines, which combine a solid fuel with a liquid oxidizer. While these engines generate less thrust compared to traditional designs, they are simpler, safer, and can be throttled or shut down mid-flight.
The Eris rocket’s first and second stages are powered by Gilmour’s Sirius engines, and the third stage uses a smaller liquid-fueled engine called Phoenix, also developed in-house. The first stage alone produces over 100,000 pounds of thrust using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer, though the solid fuel formula remains a company secret.
Flight Path and Environmental Concerns
The rocket will launch northeast over the Coral Sea, passing above the Great Barrier Reef. While there were concerns about environmental risks, the Queensland government determined that the planned drop zones for discarded rocket stages are outside sensitive areas, making the environmental impact manageable.
Regulatory Journey
Gilmour had to navigate extensive regulatory hurdles to reach this point. The Australian government approved the launch site in 2024, with final launch approval granted just last week after resolving weather-related and bureaucratic delays.
This mission marks uncharted territory not only for Gilmour but for Australia as a whole. The country hasn’t hosted an orbital rocket launch of its own design since the early 1970s. If successful, Eris will become the first all-Australian orbital launch vehicle.
Looking Ahead
Eris is designed to carry up to 305 kilograms (about 670 pounds) to low-Earth orbit, similar to Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket in New Zealand. The target orbit is around 200 kilometers high, inclined 33 degrees to the equator.
As a light-hearted touch, Gilmour has included a jar of Vegemite onboard the rocket—a tribute to Australian culture.
