We will have to wait a little longer for the very first launch of an Australian orbital rocket.
The company based in Queensland, Gilmour Space, had aimed to start its Eris rocket today (May 15), but a problem with the fairing of the vehicle’s payload scuttled this plan.
“Last night, during the final checks, an unexpected problem triggered the fair load of the rocket. No fuel was loaded, no one was injured and the first inspections show no damage to the rocket or the pad,” said Gilmour Space via X this afternoon.
“We will send a replacement fairing of our Gold Coast Factory after a complete investigation. Vegemite, for the uninitiated, is a salted brown yeast paste that Australians like to spread on toasts.
Gilmour Space Technologies, founded by the Adam and James Gilmour brothers, began its rocket program in 2015.
The company has been occupied over the past decade. For example, he developed Eris 82 feet high (25 meters high) and built a private launch site on the northern coast of Queensland, called Bowen Orbital Spaceport, in order to make Australia more a space player.
“The launch of rockets belonging to Australia and controlled from home at home means more high -tech jobs, greater security, economic growth and technological independence,” said Adam Gilmour, CEO of the company, in a statement in February.
The next test flight will be the first for Eris and the Spaceport. And it will be historic in another way, marking the very first takeoff of an Australian built orbital rocket.
Full success is a rarity for rockets that make their debut, so Gilmour Space defines its Testflight1 expectations at a reasonable level.
“Whether we get out of the PAD, whether we reach Max Q or that we leave to space, what is important is that every second flight will provide precious data that will improve the reliability and performance of our rocket for future launches,” said Adam Gilmour in the same declaration.
