Gilmour Space Technologies on Gold Coast conducts first stage of engine firing tests ahead of satellite launch

Gilmour Space Technologies has taken another key step in its mission to launch small satellites into space despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.

GILMOUR Space Technologies has taken another key step in its mission to launch small satellites into space despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.

The Helensvale-based company, which has delayed some of its projects and moved its staff to work from home during the pandemic, yesterday announced it has successfully completed the first of a number of firing tests to launch satellites into space by 2022.

The test involved one of Gilmour’s rocket engines ­firing in a static position for 45 seconds.

“This was our longest and most efficient test fire to date,” Gilmour Space CEO and co-founder Adam ­Gilmour said.

“It’s a key demonstration of our ability to produce repeatable, stable, and high-performance combustion over a long duration burn and a significant achievement in hybrid rocket development.

Gilmour Space Technologies. James Gilmour and Adam Gilmour

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“This engine will have the capability to power the upper stage of our orbital launch vehicle, and deliver our customer payloads to their required orbits,” he explained.

“Our next test will be a full duration firing of this ­engine.”

Mr Gilmour said “full duration” meant 110 seconds of rocket propulsion.

The development of Gilmour’s rocket engine, which is referred to as a hybrid rocket because of its use of green energy technology, will take place in three stages.

Mr Gilmour said the company, which has about 50 staff, was hard hit by the bushfires and then the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve had to delay some of our development efforts and transition half our team to remote work at one stage,” Mr Gilmour said.

The Gilmour Space Technologies base at Helensvale on the Gold Coast.

However, he said, the company was on track this year to complete a number of tests, including a series of low-altitude flights testing its navigation and control systems. Gilmour has marked a number of milestones recently.

In May it announced a deal with the Department of Defence to research defence-related technologies including propulsion, materials and avionics technologies.