Gilmour Space partners with Equipmake on EV tech for rocket program

UK-based electrification specialist Equipmake has been selected by Australian space company Gilmour Space Technologies to support its commercial space rocket programme with the supply of advanced electric motors and inverters.

Led by former F1 engineer Ian Foley, Equipmake has developed advanced EV technology for automotive OEMs and specialist supercar manufacturers, offering a complete suite of solutions from electric motors to power electronic systems to complete EV drivetrains for buses.

The Norfolk-based Equipmake has rapidly expanded its operations into the aerospace, agriculture, marine, mining and off-highway sectors and is now set to enter the space market by partnering with Gilmour Space.

Gilmour Space develops lower-cost solutions, most notably an innovative hybrid propulsion system, for launching small satellites into orbit. It conducted its first hybrid rocket test flight in 2016 and signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA in 2018 to collaborate on various space research, development and education initiatives. It plans to achieve its first orbital launch next year.

Gilmour Space began looking for a partner to design, engineer and supply a lightweight but very robust electric motor and inverter system to integrate with its orbital-class Eris rocket engines. The motors must be capable of surviving the intense forces of launch and performing flawlessly in the vacuum of space.

Equipmake and Gilmour Space began work on the project in late 2020. Having already developed a range of high-power density motors, Equipmake was able to call upon its considerable experience in weight-reducing technology to reach Gilmour Space’s stringent requirements for power and weight.

The electric motor’s rotor uses Equipmake’s proprietary rotor design, where the permanent magnets are arranged like the spokes of a wheel to deliver a significant performance advantage in a very challenging operating environment.