Australian startup Gilmour Space Technologies gets final approval for rocket launch

The news: Gilmour Space Technologies has received final regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for its first orbital test flight, clearing the way for Australia's first locally designed and built orbital rocket launch.

The numbers: The three-stage Eris rocket, powered by four Sirius rocket motors in stage one, a single Sirius engine in stage two, and a smaller rocket motor in stage three, will launch from the company's Bowen Orbital Spaceport facility at Abbot Point in Queensland.

The context: This milestone follows a series of regulatory approvals, including the launch facility licence granted in March 2023 and Australia's first orbital flight launch permit received in November 2023. The mission, known as Eris Testflight 1, will be the first orbital rocket launched from Australia since Britain's Black Arrow launch from Woomera Rocket Range more than 50 years ago. Gilmour Space Technologies confirmed it has completed final preparations, including attaching engine nozzles to the stage one rocket motors.

What they said: CEO Adam Gilmour announced the CASA approval at the Australian Defence Magazine Space Summit in Canberra, with the company expected to announce its launch window once formal notification documents are submitted to CASA and the Australian Space Agency.