Australia’s first rocket ‘Sirius,’ a hybrid rocket engine made by Gilmour Space Technologies, is set to take off in 2023 making the nation the 12th to go to space after passing its final qualification test.
Sirius will power the first and second stages of Eris, a three-stage rocket developed by the Queensland-based aerospace company.
Gilmour Space Co-Founder Adam Gilmour told ABC News, “We are now ready to go on and complete the vehicle and go for a launch attempt next year.”
The primary motivation for the launch is to have the opportunity to send payloads into space, which will enable new avenues in the fields of science, technology, manufacturing and communications.
It may also be crucial for national security in the future, since an increasing number of nations view space as the next military frontline.
Only 11 nations have reached space on their own to date.
Others have had to rely on the rockets of other nations, which requires them to not only pay for the privilege but also adhere to their partners’ laws and timelines.
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Sirius is a single-port hybrid rocket engine which uses a liquid oxidiser and a proprietary solid fuel.
When compared to their solid- or liquid-propellant counterparts, hybrid rocket engines are reportedly more secure, simpler and less expensive to operate.
However, their performance has lagged behind that of other engine types despite decades of research.
Gilmour Space claims to have overcome this challenge, partly because of Sirius’ proprietary solid fuel.
This has enabled the rocket engine to achieve 115 kilonewtons of thrust during its final qualification test, which is enough to lift three or four SUVs, according to Gilmour.
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Nonetheless, Gilmour told New Scientist that he will not be shocked if the April 2023 test launch fails.
Gilmour said, “We’re confident it will take off the pad, but no first launch vehicle from a new company has ever successfully gone to space on the first try.
“What generally happens is the second one works, so we’re building two of them so we can learn from the first and succeed with the second.”
Following the expected success of the Eris spacecraft, Gilmour Space intends to create a larger rocket with a payload capability of around 2,200 pounds (Eris can only lift a maximum of 672 pounds into low-Earth orbit).
Launching satellites for customers, such as the Australian government, should bring in enough money to help finance the company’s long-term objective.
Gilmour told ABC News, “We do plan on sending humans to space, but that’s approximately 10 years away on our technology roadmap. But we have got to go step by step.’”
Source: Gilmour Space, New Scientist, ABC News
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
