The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) is investing $10 million in Southern Launch, a pioneering aerospace company that facilitated the world’s first commercial spacecraft re-entry with Varda Space Industries in February 2025.
Southern Launch builds and operates spaceports that expand the frontier for commercial and national security space missions. It facilitates rocket launches into orbit, enables sub-orbital launch, and provides range management services that allow companies to test and develop rockets, hypersonic technologies and drones. Southern Launch is also the world leader in facilitating orbital re-entries that enable companies to develop medical therapies in space.
NRFC investment in Southern Launch will help to establish a future space manufacturing hub and supply chain businesses in South Australia, creating new jobs and opportunities within the emerging space industry while fortifying a critical national supply chain, and supporting economic activity in the region.
NRFC CIO Dr Mary Manning said, “Southern Launch helped to track the Artemis II lunar mission earlier this year and we are proud to be investing in homegrown pioneers contributing to projects making global history.”
“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’s ability to design, develop, and service spaceport infrastructure combined with proprietary launch and returns software represents the sovereign industrial capability needed to test rockets, drones, and other national security technology. The company is also enabling the global economy’s expansion into low-Earth orbit with the return of in-space manufacturing capsules to South Australia.”
“As Southern Launch makes technological strides, it is also creating regional jobs in South Australia and engaging in a meaningful social and economic partnership with the local First Nations community.”
Southern Launch has a principles-led approach to First Nations economic participation and care for country. The company collaborates with Koonibba Traditional Owners including through cultural monitoring of launch and re-entry activities, and Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation is a Southern Launch shareholder.
Southern Launch employs 35 people and expects to grow its workforce to 185 full time jobs including in regional South Australia. The NRFC’s investment will allow Southern Launch to build out operations and facilities at its existing sites, expand its capabilities to serve customer mission requirements, and increase its workforce.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said, “NRFC’s investment is a strong vote of confidence in Australia’s sovereign space capability, and the critical role Southern Launch is playing in enabling the global space economy. With this support, we are scaling infrastructure and capabilities to position Australia as a global leader in launch and re-entry and unlocking new economic opportunities in low-Earth orbit and beyond.”
Australia’s quiet skies, large land mass and coastline, and geographic position offer natural advantages for space launch, and the Australian Space Agency estimates that the Australian space sector will be worth $12 billion annually by 2030.
Southern Launch’s customers include Varda Space Industries and Lux Aeterna from the United States of America, Australia’s Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG) and AtSpace, South Korea’s Perigee Aerospace and INNOSPACE, Canada’s Reaction Dynamics, and the German Space Agency, DLR.
The NRFC’s $10 million direct equity investment is part of a $25 million total raise led by Brindabella, and is subject to various customary conditions, including receipt of shareholder approvals and a notification waiver from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
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About the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC)
The NRFC is Australia’s sovereign investor in manufacturing capability. It has $15 billion to invest through direct loans, equity investments and loan guarantees across eight priority areas: renewables and low emissions technologies; enabling capabilities; defence capability; transport; value-add in resources; value-add in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; medical science; and industrial manufacturing and critical supply chains.
The NRFC’s role is to invest in Australian businesses and projects that design, refine and make to transform capability, grow jobs and a skilled workforce, and diversify our economy. The NRFC is a corporate Commonwealth entity, established by the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Act 2023 (NRFC Act) in September 2023.
For more information, visit nrf.gov.au.
NRFC media contact: media@nrf.gov.au
About Southern Launch
Southern Launch provides bespoke mission services for orbital launch, sub-orbital missions including hypersonic flight, orbital re-entries, and range services for the global space industry. Southern Launch provides an end-to-end service for missions including sourcing all regulatory approvals, managing logistics, coordinating range management and leading recovery operations. The company is headquartered in Adelaide and operates two world-class spaceports – the Koonibba Test Range and Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.
Southern Launch Media contact: Amy Featherston, General Manager, Sales and
Marketing, Southern Launch, 0400 456 016, media@southernlaunch.space