Australian rocket company Gilmour Space Technologies has signed its first local customer for the maiden launch of its Eris rocket in 2022. The company has been contracted to deliver a 35-kilogram spacecraft into orbit, the largest payload ever announced by an Australian company.The launch will mark a significant historical milestone for the nation, as the first time an Australian payload has been launched on an Australian rocket from Australian. A lot has to go right between now and the 2022 launch date, not least being the need for a launch site to be prepared and ready.Gilmour Space said on Wednesday it had signed a contract with stealth-mode startup Space Machines Company (SEC) for the launch. SEC is developing an in-space transportation capability which it says “will exponentially transform access and commercialisation of space.”

Сегодня всем известно, что скорость света в вакууме является неизменной, а ее величина - максимальная скорость среди возможных во Вселенной. Но в течение истории она претерпела множество уточнений, пока в 20-м веке не перевернула всю физику вверх тормашками.
Именно об этом - об истории измерения скорости света - и о ее значении, как физических, так и для физики в целом, мы сегодня и поговорим.