Australian launch vehicle startup Gilmour Space Technologies has raised $36 million in a recent Series D funding round. This funding is designed to help develop, test, and launch rockets and satellites from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland.

Gilmour Space, founded in 2012, is currently developing a three-stage rocket called Eris. The maiden test flight of Eris is anticipated in the coming months, pending launch certifications from the Australian Space Agency. A second test is expected later this year, with commercial launches set to commence in 2025.

This funding round was led by Queensland Investment Corporation. Other contributors include Blackbird, Main Sequence, HostPlus, and Australian pension fund HESTA.

Adam Gilmour, Gilmour Space co-founder and CEO, expressed gratitude for their high-caliber investors. Patrick Christiansen, the private equity investment director for Queensland Investment Corporation, commended Gilmour’s potential to compete as a full-stack launch service provider, serving as a strong value proposition for an underrepresented segment of the global space market.

Previously, Gilmour Space raised around $46 million in a Series C round in 2021. This fresh inflow of Series D funding will empower Gilmour Space to attempt multiple launches and strive to be the first Australian-built rocket to reach orbit, according to Rick Baker, Blackbird co-founding partner.

Source: Launch vehicle startup Gilmour Space raises $36 million.