AROSE media release (5 August 2021)
PERTH, AUSTRALIA: The Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) consortium welcomes Australian launch services company Gilmour Space Technologies as its latest member.
Since starting its rocket program in 2015, Gilmour Space has been on a mission to build and launch lower cost rockets and satellites to orbit. The Queensland-based company is addressing a major bottleneck facing businesses that are developing, testing and deploying new Space technologies – Access to Space.
Today with over 85 employees, Gilmour Space is the largest sovereign manufacturer of orbital launch vehicles in Australia, and a world-leader in hybrid propulsion technologies which use safer and lower cost fuels than traditional chemical propulsion.
On the back of these milestone achievements, in June this year, Gilmour Space secured $61 million from global investors in what was the largest private equity investment raised by a Space company in Australia.
This investment will give Gilmour Space runway to launch their first orbital rocket, Eris, into Low Earth Orbit in 2022, build their space manufacturing capability for rockets and satellites, and facilitate the development of a new commercial spaceport at Abbott Point in north Queensland.
On joining AROSE, Gilmour Space CEO, Adam Gilmour, said:
“We are proud to be joining AROSE and expanding the ways we can contribute to the growth of Australia’s new Space industry.”
“We look forward to launching many of the exciting technologies being developed by our partners at AROSE. There’s no doubt that Remote Operations will be necessary for Space exploration, and the ability to communicate with and control systems over vast distances could also have some very interesting applications on Earth.”
AROSE CEO Leanne Cunnold welcomed Gilmour Space Technologies to AROSE saying:
“We are thrilled that Gilmour Space has joined AROSE, bringing crucial launch services to the consortium that round out our Space sector supply chain capabilities.”
“Companies will now have the option of an affordable, reliable and Australian service provider to launch their satellites, rockets and payloads into orbit and Space.”
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About AROSE
AROSE is an industry-led consortium at the forefront of knowledge and technology transfer between Australia’s traditional industry sectors and the burgeoning international Space sector. With a pioneering spirit, AROSE is unifying Australia’s world leading remote operations capabilities for applications locally, around the world and into Space. AROSE is forging a path for Australia to play a major role in the Space sector and continue its leadership in Remote Operations by developing high-end, niche expertise and technology to deliver benefits for our economy, workforce and planet.
AROSE was founded in February 2020, borne from the vision of former Woodside Head of Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Russell Potapinski and former astronaut Col. Pamela Melroy (now Deputy Administrator of NASA). AROSE is headquartered in Perth thanks to the generous support of the Western Australian government through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Image: Adam Gilmour, Gilmour Space CEO, joined virtually by David Flanagan (Chair) and Leanne Cunnold (CEO) of AROSE for membership signing ceremony.