Bowen Launches Australia's First Rocket!

Excitement is building in Bowen, with the town abuzz with news of the imminent rocket launch that could take place any time from Thursday, 15th May.

Gilmour Space Technologies announced a launch window starting ‘no earlier than’ Thursday between 7.30am and 5.30pm, but have reiterated that this could change at any time.

From launch, the flight path will take eight minutes before the rocket passes through the edge of Earth’s atmosphere and officially reaches orbit.

"This will be the first attempt of an Australian rocket to reach orbit from Australian soil," said Adam Gilmour, co-founder and CEO of Gilmour Space.

"Safety is always the top priority. We'll only launch when we're ready, and when conditions are appropriate.”

He added that it’s important to understand that delays or 'scrubs' are a normal part of rocket launches.

These can last anywhere from hours to days, or even weeks, and are often caused by weather conditions, technical issues, or other factors.

Reaching orbit is a highly complex engineering challenge, and every successful rocket company has faced setbacks in their early attempts—SpaceX, for one, did it on their fourth attempt.

"It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,” he shared.

“Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches."

Gilmour added that, regardless of the outcome on the maiden voyage, this is still a huge moment for Australia.

“Only six countries in the world are launching regularly to space using their own technology, and Australia could soon be one of them," he expressed.

"I want to thank our incredible team at Gilmour Space for all their hard work and dedication in getting to this critical first flight. Whatever happens next, know that you've already made history—we now build rockets in Australia. And this is only the beginning."

Eris is a three-stage rocket powered by a hybrid rocket engine. It is about the same height as a 7-storey building and, at lift-off, weighs 34 tonnes – equal to about 17 average-sized cars.

It is the first-ever Australian-made rocket to launch into space, and once operational, it will deliver payloads into low-orbit space.

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox has been an avid supporter of the project since advocating for support when he was Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor.

“A lot hinges on many factors, including the weather, and as this is the first of its kind in Australia, expectations are being managed,” he shared.
“No matter the final result, the data gathered from this inaugural test flight will be invaluable – the only way forward is up!”

Mayor Ry Collins said he was excited to see the Whitsunday region in the spotlight.

“History is about to be made in Australia, and the Whitsundays is front and centre!”

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy, added that the town had certainly been buzzing about the launch.

“Everyone has been talking about it – locals and visitors – ever since the date was announced,” she said.

“We certainly have had a lot of visitors asking questions. People have travelled from near and far hoping to get a glimpse of this historical moment.

“It really is a milestone for Bowen, for the entire Whitsundays region, and for Australia.”

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Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox with the Gilmour Brothers at the Gilmour Spaceport in Bowen. Photo supplied

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