MEDIA RELEASE
Gold Coast, QLD — Australian rocket company, Gilmour Space Technologies, today unveiled its ‘One Vision’ rocket which it plans to launch later this month, and conducted a live demonstration of its automated mobile launcher, the first of its kind in Australia.
"One Vision is a scaled version of our Ariel sounding rocket, and its main objective will be to flight-test our proprietary hybrid rocket engine for commercial orbital launches starting in 2020,” said the company’s CEO & Founder, Adam Gilmour.
The nine-meter-tall rocket (pictured above) will be carrying payloads from universities in Australia and Singapore, and is slated to launch from a private property in far north Queensland later this month. “We’re in the final stages of obtaining launch approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority,” said Mr Gilmour.
The coming launch will also be a test of the company’s new mobile launch platform (see left) and ground control station. “There are currently no commercial launch sites for orbital launches in Australia. What you see here today will enable us to launch from remote areas in Australia and elsewhere.”
Members of the Queensland parliamentary committee inquiring into the job-creation opportunities from space, were first to view the demo. “I congratulate Gilmour Space for being such active and innovative entrepreneurs, really driving the development of the Queensland space industry. It’s so critical that other Queensland companies see that they too could be active participants in Space 2.0,” said committee chairperson, Chris Whiting.
Indeed, Gilmour Space believes that a dedicated commercial launch site in Queensland could form the cornerstone of upstream space manufacturing in Queensland and Australia. Said Mr Gilmour:
"It’s becoming clear to everyone that space is a real business. It is an industry that is developing cutting edge technology, attracting real investments, employing highly skilled talent within Australia, and bringing new and valuable skills into the country. With stronger support from the government, I believe this growth could be nurtured and accelerated, helping us put Australia on the global space map.”
About:
Gilmour Space Technologies is a private Australian rocket company that is developing new capabilities for launching small satellites into Low Earth Orbits. Founded by two brothers, this Queensland-based startup is now one of Australia’s leading space companies, pioneering new and innovative hybrid propulsion technologies that will accelerate humanity’s access to ‘All Orbits, All Planets’. Find out more at https://www.gspacetech.com/about.
Media contact:
Michelle Gilmour, Director of Communications
Email: michelle@gilmourspacecorp.com, Mob: +61 433 908 084