Gold Coast kids catch space fever after historic NASA rocket launch

After a history-making space launch was a success on the other side of the world, kids from the Coast have been inspired to take on the stars themselves.

AFTER a history-making space launch was a success on the other side of the world, kids from the Gold Coast are being inspired.

For the first time in ten years, astronauts launched into space from US soil yesterday morning when NASA and Elon Musk’s company SpaceX sent a rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

It’s cool when your dad runs a Space company. picture Glenn Hampson

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The launch was also the first ever conducted by a commercial company and for the Gilmour siblings Alanna, 9, Leia, 15 and Ben, 17, – whose family run Gilmour Space Technologies on the Gold Coast – the occasion demonstrated to them anything is possible.

“I saw the launch this morning, it was pretty cool,” Alanna said.

“I want to go to space and I reckon Australia can do it.”

Leia told the Bulletin: “It’s a big deal because it’s the first commercial launch and it has nothing to do with a government agency.

Dreaming of blasting off into the future are the Gilmore siblings. Picture: Glenn Hampson

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Ben added: “It’s going to open a lot of people’s eyes because they’ll realise that commercial space has a possible future.

“The best thing about this is it opens up the industry, more and more people will realise that commercial space is a viable industry.”

Adam Gilmour, the CEO of the space technology company in Helensvale, said his organisation was happy about the SpaceX launch because it lead the way for companies like theirs.

“SpaceX is a start up company, it started in 2002,” he said.

“We’re a start up and this is a real demonstration that dreams that seem impossible can actually come true.”