Gold Coast rocket company Gilmour Space has partnered with one of Asia’s largest payload service providers, Space BD, to begin offering its global satellite customers launch opportunities from Australia.
The company announced the partnership with the Japanese startup in Tokyo on Wednesday, as it awaits a new window for the historical maiden launch of its three-stage Eris rocket.
The agreement will see Space BD offer satellite launch services on Eris and ElaraSat, a 100 kilogram, multi-mission satellite, from Gilmour Space’s Bowen Orbital Spaceport in northern Queensland.
Both dedicated launch opportunities and rideshare mission opportunities — where multiple small satellites are launched into orbit on a single launch vehicle — will be offered to global satellite customers, the company said.
Space BD is Asia’s largest payload services provider for SpaceX launches, including on the Falcon 9 rockets that have been used for frequent Transporter rideshare missions carrying small satellites.
It has already supported more than 90 satellite missions and over 600 space-related projects spanning “launch integration, satellite development and supporting experiments on the International Space Station”.
Gilmour Space’s head of sales, David Jervis, said the partnership with Space BD “opens new opportunities to deliver Australian-made launch services to more customers across the Asia-Pacific”.
“We’re excited to be partnering with Space BD — a company with strong networks and proven experience in Japan’s space sector,” he said, as Gilmour Space attended the SPACETIDE conference.
Space BD’s head of launch unit, Mia Lee, added that Gilmour Space’s “geographically advantageous” launch facility is one of only a few operational sites in the Southern Hemisphere close to the equator.
“By leveraging not only their geographically advantageous launch capabilities but also their integrated, satellite platform-based one-stop service, we aim to fully support customers in realising their space demonstration missions,” she said.
Gilmour Space is shooting for a third launch attempt of Australia’s first homegrown rocket no earlier than July 16 (NET), after last week’s attempt was pushed back due to unfavorable wind conditions.
The July NET date comes a full two months after an electrical fault that caused the nose cone to open during pre-launch checks prompted the company to scrub its first launch attempt.
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