SHOOT FOR THE STARS
THE success of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launch at the weekend is inspiring the next generation of interstellar explorers on the Gold Coast.
For Pimpama’s Gilmour Space Technologies heir apparents Alanna Gilmour, 9 and sister Leia Gilmour, 15, it again demonstrated “anything is possible”.
“I want to go to space and I reckon Australia can do it,” Alanna said.
AFTER a history-making space launch was a success on the other side of the world, kids from the Gold Coast are being inspired.
For the first time in 10 years, astronauts launched into space from US soil yesterday morning when NASA and Elon Musk’s company SpaceX sent a rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
The launch was also the first ever conducted by a commercial company and for the Gilmour siblings – Alanna, 9, Leia, 15 and Ben, 17, whose family run Gilmour Space Technologies on the Gold Coast – the occasion demonstrated that anything is possible.
“I saw the launch this morning, it was pretty cool,” Alanna said.
“I want to go to space and I reckon Australia can do it.”
Leia told the Bulletin:
“It’s a big deal because it’s the first commercial launch and it has nothing to do with a government agency.
“It’s going to open a lot of people’s eyes because they’ll realise that commercial space has a possible future.
Ben added: “The best thing about this is it opens up the industry; more and more people will realise commer-cial space is a viable industry.”
Adam Gilmour, the CEO of the space technology company in Helensvale, said his organisation was happy about the SpaceX launch because it led the way for companies like theirs.
“SpaceX is a start-up company, it started in 2002,” he said.
“We’re a start-up and this is a real demonstration that dreams that seem impossible can actually come true.”