Gilmour Space Technologies


Gilmour Space Technologies is a leading venture-funded Australian space company headquartered in Queensland, Australia that is developing new hybrid-engine rockets and associated technology to support the development of a low-cost space launch vehicle.
Its stated mission is to provide affordable space launch services to the world's fast-growing small satellite industry. The maiden launch of its first commercial orbital vehicle, called Eris, is planned for 2021 or 2022. Their suborbital launch vehicle Ariel was set to launch in 2019. Eventually, the company is also looking to provide low-cost space access for human spaceflight and exploration.

Founding

Gilmour Space was founded in 2012 in Singapore by former banker, Adam Gilmour. In 2013, the Australian CEO & Founder set up similar operations in Queensland, Australia with his brother James Gilmour.
The company's first project in 2013 was to design and manufacture high-fidelity spaceflight simulators and replicas for a number of space-related exhibits, and education centres, including Spaceflight Academy Gold Coast, Australia's first astronaut training center. It began its rocket development program in 2015; and within 18 months, successfully launched Australia and Singapore's first privately developed hybrid test rocket using proprietary 3D printed fuel. The Gilmour brothers have also met with NASA officials at the Kennedy Space Center to discuss launch opportunities.

Technology

Rocket Archetype

Gilmour Space employs a proprietary hybrid rocket motor technology that it believes overcomes many of the traditional challenges of hybrid rockets. A hybrid-propellant rocket utilises a mixture of solid and liquid fuel. Advantages of hybrid rockets include acceptably high specific impulse values with relatively very low complexity and associated risks. In general, hybrid rocket engines are the safest of the three major rocket engines – e.g. as compared to a solid-propellant rocket which cannot be deactivated or throttled once ignited; and a liquid-propellant rocket which typically requires cryogenic fuel storage and complex turbine systems to provide sufficient combustion chamber pressure both for the fuel and the oxidiser.

Engine Development

Gilmour Space was the first private rocket company in Australia to launch a proprietary hybrid rocket in June 2016. The RASTA launch vehicle is reported to have flown to an altitude of 5 km, and is said to the one of the world's first flight demonstrations of 3D printed rocket fuel.
Since then, the Queensland-based company has conducted a series of large hybrid engine test fires, including a 17-second test in August 2018 that recorded 80kN of thrust and a 110-second test in July 2020.
A second test launch was attempted in June 2019, which failed in the final seconds on the launchpad due to an anomaly in the pressure system affecting the oxidiser tank. According to the company, a detailed investigation into the anomaly resulted in 15 key recommendations that have since been implemented in the new orbital rocket design, and the company is now actively sourcing partners to test and manufacture its orbital launch vehicles in Australia.

Deep Space & Exploration Research

Gilmour Space has also supported a number of proof-of-concept technology projects related to the development of a long-term space habitat. An example is the M.A.R.S rover project, a collaborative educational project at SUTD which received an award at the 2016 ASME international student competition. and was featured in National Geographic’s Exploring Mars exhibit in Singapore.
The company is also working on an in-space cubesat propulsion system, which could potentially be used to send a 1U cubesat from Earth's orbit to that of other moons or planets in the solar system.
In Feb 2018, it signed a reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA to collaborate on various research, technology development and educational initiatives, including the testing of its MARS rover at Kennedy Space Center.

Spaceflight Simulators

The company has earlier developed a number of unique high-fidelity spaceflight simulators and replicas, including a 6 degree-of-freedom space plane simulator, space capsule simulator, fighter cockpit trainers, low gravity climb, mission control simulators, and others.
In February 2017, the Design Business Chamber of Singapore awarded Gilmour Space with the Singapore Good Design Mark for excellence in design and quality of its simulators.

Funding and Awards

In fourth quarter 2016, its then-Singapore business was awarded a grant by the country's National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster to develop aerospace-related additive manufacturing capabilities with the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
In May 2017, Gilmour Space secured AUD 5 million in Series A round funding to develop and launch a low-cost launch vehicle for the small payload market. The lead investor was Australian venture capital firm Blackbird Ventures, with co-investors including global venture capital firm 500 Startups and other private investors.
The company has also been awarded other grants by Advance Queensland in Australia, and the Singapore Economic Development Board.
In June 2018, it received the Australian Trade & Investment Commission Innovation Award by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, Singapore "for the individual or organisation that has demonstrated innovation through bringing progressive and new ideas to business in priority sectors".
In Sept 2018, the company became of the first Australian space companies to raise a Series-B investment round of USD 14 million, led by CSIRO venture capital arm, Main Sequence Ventures.
In June 2019, Gilmour Space CEO Adam Gilmour was named the Advance Award winner in Advanced Manufacturing. The Advance Awards showcases the work of Australian citizens or residents who have made a significant global contribution overseas across selected industries.
In Nov 2019, Adam was made a member of the Australian Space Agency's Space Industry Leaders Forum, which keeps the Agency informed on industry relevant issues and provides a coordination point for the civil space sector.
In Dec 2019, Gilmour Space signed a statement of strategic intent with the Australian Space Agency as a demonstration of its commitment to launch Australia to space.