The funding round, led by Australian national security investment firm Brindabella & Company and supported by a $10 million investment from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), will help accelerate Southern Launch’s ambitions to position Australia as a global hub for orbital launch, spacecraft re-entry and advanced aerospace testing.
Southern Launch has rapidly emerged as one of Australia’s most significant space companies, having delivered the nation’s first commercial rocket launch and facilitated the world’s first commercial spacecraft re-entry with US company Varda Space Industries in February 2025.
The company operates two specialist space facilities in South Australia – the Koonibba Test Range and the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex – supporting missions ranging from orbital and suborbital launches to hypersonic testing, drone trials and spacecraft recovery operations.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said the investment represents a major vote of confidence in Australia’s ability to develop a sovereign space industry.
“This raise is a major milestone for Southern Launch and a strong vote of confidence in Australia’s sovereign space capability,” Damp said. “With the backing of world-class investors and the Australian federal government through the NRFC, we are scaling infrastructure and capabilities to position Australia as a global leader in launch and re-entry while unlocking new economic opportunities in low-Earth orbit and beyond.”
The NRFC’s investment will support the expansion of Southern Launch’s facilities and operations, helping establish a future space manufacturing hub and creating new opportunities for Australian businesses operating across the space supply chain.
NRFC chief investment officer Dr Mary Manning said Southern Launch is addressing a critical gap in the global space economy by providing launch and re-entry services from the southern hemisphere.
“Southern Launch meets a critical need for rocket launch and re-entry services in the southern hemisphere and NRFC investment addresses a global bottleneck in the space industry by securing this sovereign capability for Australia,” Manning said.
The company’s capabilities are increasingly supporting both commercial and national security applications, including advanced aerospace testing, uncrewed systems, counter-drone technology, hypersonic development and space-based manufacturing.
Southern Launch has also supported international missions, including tracking NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission while continuing to develop Australia’s role in the growing low-Earth orbit economy.
Brindabella & Company CEO Anthony Wilson said Southern Launch’s unique combination of launch infrastructure, range services and re-entry capability positioned the company to become a key player in the rapidly expanding global space market.
“Southern Launch is a globally unique business supporting orbital and suborbital launch, range testing services for terrestrial and maritime UAS and counter-UAS, hypersonic testing, in addition to the burgeoning microgravity drug discovery industry,” Wilson said.
Beyond its national strategic importance, the investment is expected to deliver significant regional economic benefits, particularly in South Australia. Southern Launch currently employs 35 people and expects its workforce to grow to 185 full-time positions as operations expand.
Senator Tim Ayres, Minister for Science, Industry and Innovation, said: “This investment from the National Reconstruction Fund supports the company’s ambition to build out its operations and grow its workforce by 150 people.”
The company has also developed partnerships with local First Nations communities, including collaboration with Koonibba Traditional Owners and the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, which is a Southern Launch shareholder.
“This is an example of the Albanese Labor government’s Future Made in Australia agenda at work. Strengthening national resilience, unlocking economic opportunity and building capability and high quality, secure jobs in our outer suburbs and our regions," Minister Ayres said.
With Australia’s space sector forecast to become a $12 billion annual industry by 2030, Southern Launch’s expansion represents a significant step towards establishing sovereign access to space and building a domestic industrial base capable of supporting future commercial, defence and scientific missions.
As global competition in space accelerates, Australia’s ability to launch, test and recover space systems from its own territory is increasingly being viewed as a critical capability – not only for economic growth but for national security.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Space Connect a preferred news source on Google.