The authorisation, called an Australian launch permit, is the first ever issued by the Australian Government for a commercial orbital launch vehicle.
An Australian launch permit is required under the Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 to launch from Australian soil to an altitude of more than 100 kilometres.
Gilmour Space CEO and co-founder, Adam Gilmour, welcomed the news as a major milestone for the local space industry. “With this green light, we will soon attempt the first orbital test flight of an Australian-made rocket from Australian soil.
"Our team is assessing the conditions of the permit and will advise on the anticipated launch date for Eris TestFlight1 in the coming weeks."
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The Australian Space Agency described the launch permit as historic decision which paves the way for Gilmour to launch Eris 1 for its first test flight.
Eris 1 is a small orbital launch vehicle designed to deliver payloads of about 300kg into low earth orbit.
Eris 1 is 23 meters in length and has a mass at lift off of 34 tonnes. The vehicle has three stages and includes novel hybrid propulsion technologies.
In March this year, Gilmour was granted a launch facility licence by the Australian Government for the Bowen Orbital Spaceport.
In September, the company announced it had successfully completed a major wet dress rehearsal of its Eris launch vehicle, progressing the countdown to T-10 seconds.
The upcoming TestFlight1 will be the first of several planned test launches to reach orbit with Eris, which leverages new propulsion technologies developed by the Gold Coast-based company.
Since launching its rocket program in 2015, Gilmour Space has expanded to over 200 employees, built a local supply chain of more than 300 Australian companies, attracted substantial private investment, gained support from local, state, and federal governments, and actively engaged communities across the region.
Its Bowen spaceport, one of only a few private orbital launch sites globally, will initially provide access to low- and mid-inclination orbits.vehicles.
