Gilmour Space completes dress rehearsal ahead of first test flight

Gold Coast-based 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 company’s Eris 1 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 the rocket’s 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.”