Australian space company Gilmour Space Technologies signs Mars deal with NASA

IN AN Australian first, a Gold Coast-based space company has struck a deal with NASA that will see them helping to extract water from Mars by 2024.

AN AUSTRALIAN company has struck a deal with NASA that will see them work together build an experimental rover, which will be put on Mars by 2024.

NASA will assist Gold Coast-based company Gilmour Space Technologies in building a rover designed to extract water from the red planet.

This is believed the first time an Australian-based space start-up has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA.

Testing of the rover prototype will take place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is just one of several projects the two companies are working on together.

The design could look similar to NASA’s Curiosity rover but the purpose would be to extract water from the planet. Picture: NASA/AP

The agreement allows Gilmour Space Technologies to work with NASA in a range of fields, including technology development, research, rocket launches, deep-space missions and life support systems.

“NASA is a world leader in space exploration efforts, and we’re privileged to be able to work with them to develop and test some of our innovative new space technologies,” CEO and founder Alex Gilmour said in a statement.

Adam Gilmour at the Gilmore Space Technologies space academy. Picture: Scott Fletcher

The private space company is known for its focus on rocket launches and the new deal with NASA means they will have access to different facilities to advance their testing.

The company recently conducted two successful tests of it’s first full-scale orbital engine, which sets the stage for the goal of launching its first comical rocket into suborbital space by 2019, and low Earth orbit by 2020.

And here’s a pic of our 45kN hybrid engine test with shock diamonds...cos we all love ‘em :) Parabolic Arc: https://t.co/MhDOU9MAbr pic.twitter.com/fIQlI2q6n3

— Gilmour Space Tech (@GilmourSpace) 5 January 2018

“It was a key demonstration of our hybrid rocket technology, in line with our mission to launch small satellites weighing up to 380kg to space by 2020,” said Mr Gilmour.

As much as the Australian company chooses to focus on space launch, Mr Gilmour said that he recognises it is just one part of space research and hopes the deal with NASA will allow them to expand in other areas.

“In our journey to the stars, humankind will need to build sustainable and long-term infrastructure and bases on the moon, asteroids or Mars,” he said.

“We will need to be able to manufacture big things off-Earth, generate lots of energy, and develop technology that will help us survive and live longer in space.

“We hope to work with NASA to solve many of these issues in the years ahead.”