Gilmour Space has successfully completed a major wet dress rehearsal at the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, marking a key milestone towards the launch of the country’s first Australian-made orbital rocket later this year.
During the test, the Eris rocket was safely loaded with propellant and all launch procedures were executed up to T-10 seconds before liftoff. The full rehearsal validated the performance of critical systems with only minor issues identified. These issues, including two faulty valves and some minor software reconfigurations, are expected to be resolved before our first flight, currently pending launch permit approval and airspace management clearances from the relevant agencies.
“I cannot overstate the significance of what we’ve accomplished, with only minimal issues detected,” said David Doyle, Director of Launch Vehicles and Satellites at Gilmour Space. “This was the final major test to validate the readiness of our rocket, ground systems and crew, while allowing us to address any concerns ahead of launch day. At this stage, we expect to resolve all identified issues in the coming weeks. Pending approvals and other unforeseen events, Eris should be ready for launch as soon as we get the green light.”
Test highlights include:
Launch Vehicle:
- All propellant tanks and pressure vessels across the three stages were successfully filled with fluids and high-pressure gases.
- Onboard autonomous tank pressure management systems were verified.
- Tested all 16 vernier thrusters.
Ground Systems:
- Ground systems, including propellant storage, filling, and de-tanking operations, performed as expected.
- Radio frequency communications with the launch vehicle were tested.
Range Operations:
- The rocket and ground systems were operated remotely from the Launch Control Centre.
- Airspace Temporary Restricted Areas were activated; maintained ground exclusion zones.
- 24/7 operational cycles were completed to ensure team readiness and system reliability.
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