Ansys empowers Gilmour Space for historic Australian rocket launch

Since the inception of its rocket program in 2015, Gilmour Space has become the leading provider of Australian-made launch vehicles and satellite platforms that aim to significantly lower the cost of accessing space. The upcoming TestFlight1 will be the first of several launches planned by Gilmour Space to reach orbit with Eris, pioneering next-generation hybrid propulsion technologies developed in-house.

Designing a rocket from scratch is a complex engineering task, with interrelated systems ranging from aerostructures, avionics to propulsion all needing to function seamlessly for a successful launch. These systems have been designed to reliably reach LEO (Low Earth Orbit), withstanding extreme loads and high thermal and pressure variables. To achieve this, Gilmour Space has created a state-of-the-art engineering facility, purpose-built for designing and manufacturing rockets in-house, and equipped with best-practice computer-aided engineering tools to help foster innovation and excellence within their multidisciplinary team.

"The first launch is always the hardest," notes Adam Gilmour, CEO Gilmour Space. "Reaching orbit is a highly complex engineering challenge, and every modern rocket company has faced setbacks in their early attempts. It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time.

"Regardless of the outcome of our first launch, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches. Only six countries in the world are launching regularly to space using their own technology, and we're excited to contribute to Australia joining this select group."

LEAP Australia Managing Director, Greg Horner, confirms the significance of this historic launch by Gilmour Space. "Developing independent space capabilities is essential for Australia's future. The emergence of ambitious startups like Gilmour Space will be a critical growth driver for our economy, helping create more advanced job opportunities, stimulate economic growth, and help Australia to achieve technological self-reliance which, in turn, enhances our national security."

Gilmour Space has significantly grown its use of Ansys solutions over the past decade which was originally enabled by the Ansys Startup Program, to help engineers iterate on design ideas and collaborate in a multiphysics environment. The team uses Ansys Fluent and Ansys Mechanical to optimise the design of critical rocketry and avionics components for performance and durability. Additionally, Ansys Thermal Desktop plays a vital role in maintaining temperatures below critical thresholds, Ansys HFSS helps validate the performance of RF communications systems, while Ansys Granta helps source and manage material data amongst the broader team, driving simulation accuracy, reducing material costs, and lowering project risk.

"By leveraging the Ansys Startup Program, and LEAP's technical assistance, we've been able to fast-track the answers we needed and provide immediate feedback to a series of critical design questions that arose during each stage of our rocket development," said Chris Brandl, Head of Launch Vehicles, Gilmour Space.

"Ansys' proven high-fidelity simulation and modelling has allowed us to rapidly iterate on our designs, before committing to building a physical prototype. This extensive use of simulation across our team has given us confidence that our novel technologies developed for Eris will meet our stringent launch requirements and help contribute to a future of highly reliable satellite launches from Australian soil."

"The emerging New Space industry will need both large and small rockets to meet diverse end needs, with smaller rockets being competitive and offering flexibility for targeted satellite replacements," said Dave Firth, Regional Vice President (APAC) at Ansys.

"In an industry that has many obstacles to physical prototyping, Ansys provides best-in-class simulation technology that empowers startups like Gilmour Space to conduct extensive virtual testing before their physical launch, resulting in significant cost reductions and accelerating their timelines to achieve reliable and affordable launch. We will continue to work closely with Gilmour Space through our Elite Channel Partner, LEAP Australia, and we look forward to admiring the future results of their ambitious and rapid innovation."