Southern Launch has closed a $25 million Series A funding round to expand its spaceport infrastructure, grow its workforce and accelerate launch, re-entry and range services.
The round was led by Brindabella & Company and includes a $10 million investment from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. Other investors named in the announcement include former Macquarie Group CEO and CFO Nicholas Moore and Alex Harvey, and Coupland Asset Management.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said, “This raise is a major milestone for Southern Launch and a strong vote of confidence in Australia’s sovereign space capability. 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 company said it conducted Australia’s first commercial rocket launch in 2020 and has since built infrastructure and processes for orbital and suborbital launches, hypersonic flight, re-entries and range services for advanced system testing. It said that in February 2025 it facilitated the world’s first commercial spacecraft re-entry at the Koonibba Test Range, and has since completed a further three re-entries, with the latest landing in May 2026. Southern Launch also said it supported NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission earlier this year.
“Southern Launch is a globally unique business supporting orbital & sub-orbital launch, range testing services for terrestrial & maritime UAS & C-UAS, hypersonic testing, in addition to the burgeoning microgravity drug discovery industry,” said Brindabella & Company CEO Anthony Wilson. “Southern Launch is well positioned to help Australia become a global centre in the rapidly growing trillion-dollar space economy.”
NRFC CEO David Gall said, “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.”
Southern Launch said its operations include returning materials manufactured in space, including pharmaceuticals developed in microgravity, and positioned the capability as relevant to sectors including medicine, advanced manufacturing and national security.
The company’s current spaceports include the Koonibba Test Range, developed in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, and the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex, both in South Australia.
Southern Launch said its activities create employment opportunities, support skills development and involve local community members in mission delivery at both sites.
Senator the Hon. Tim Ayres, Minister for Science, Industry & 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. “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.”
