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A Japanese company that has provided in-orbit demonstration services to the International Space Station (ISS) has reached a deal with Gold Coast-headquartered Gilmour Space Technologies as a partner for Southern Hemisphere missions.
Under the agreement, Space BD will offer dedicated and rideshare opportunities on Gilmour Space’s three-stage orbital launch vehicle Eris, designed to carry small satellites to orbit, as well as its modular, payload-agnostic satellite platform ElaraSat.
The deal opens new mission options for Japanese and global satellite customers, with launches to take place from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland.
As an Australian-owned and operated launch services provider, Gilmour offers a strategic launch alternative in a market that increasingly values regional resilience, supply chain assurance, and mission flexibility.
"We’re excited to be partnering with Space BD — a company with strong networks and proven experience in Japan’s space sector," says Gilmour Space head of sales David Jervis.
"This collaboration opens new opportunities to deliver Australian-made launch services to more customers across the Asia-Pacific."
Space BD has supported 90-plus satellite missions and more than 600 space-related projects, with expertise in launch integration, satellite deployment, and supporting experiments on the ISS. The agreement is expected to expand Space BD’s global offerings while strengthening space cooperation between Japan and Australia.
"We are very pleased to announce the start of our collaboration with Gilmour Space Technologies," says Space BD head of launch services business unit, Mia Lee.
"By leveraging not only their geographically advantageous launch capabilities but also their integrated, satellite platform-based one-stop service, we aim to fully support global customers in realising their space demonstration missions."
The news comes as the Australian-owned Gilmour Space works towards the inaugural test flight of its three-stage orbital launch vehicle Eris designed to carry small satellites to orbit, which was delayed in May due to a pre-launch anomaly and again last month because of weather challenges.
During a pre-launch test prior to fuelling an electrical fault is believed to have inadvertently triggered the deployment mechanism of the rocket’s payload fairing - a carbon-fibre nose cone designed to protect the payload during ascent.
The company explained there were no no injuries, and assessments suggested there was no damage to the launch vehicle or ground systems.
"Our team encountered the issue before fuelling and liftoff, which is exactly what ground testing is meant to do," Gilmour Space co-founder and CEO Adam Gilmour said at the time.
"The good news is our team and rocket are both fine. While we're disappointed by the delay, we’re already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon."
Gilmour Space raised $55 million in a Series D round led by the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) in early 2024, implying a $605 million valuation at the time with other backers including Blackbird, Main Sequence and Australian superannuation funds HostPlus and HESTA.
In November last year it made history by receiving Australia’s first orbital launch permit from the federal government and the Australian Space Agency (ASA). The company has also entered partnerships with LatConnect 60, Advanced Navigation, Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace and New Zealand's Frond Space, among others.
James Gilmour is a four-time winner of the Technology category at the Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards, where he has also won the Trailblazer award twice. Nominations for the initiative, which is national as part of the broader Australian Young Entrepreneur Awards, opened last week.
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