PLD Space has made history after successfully completing the launch of the first private European rocket, MIURA 1 — this milestone achievement reinforces PLD Space’s position in building national and European strategic capabilities.
The first launch of MIURA 1 occurred at 02:19 CET (00:19 UTC) on Saturday, October 7th, at the facilities of the El Arenosillo Experimentation Centre (CEDEA), belonging to the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA). PLD Space has fulfilled the primary mission objectives related to engine thrust, trajectory tracking and launcher behavior.
The flight lasted 306 seconds in which MIURA 1 reached apogee at an altitude of 46 kilometers. The mission concluded with the rocket landing in the Atlantic Ocean and the company will proceed with the work of recovering the rocket during the next few hours.
The launch also tested a technological device from the German Centre for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) under microgravity conditions. The data gathered during the flight will inform future experiments.
Following an in-depth analysis of the mission, PLD Space will publicly release the data collected during the inaugural MIURA 1 flight test. Miura 1 is the first rocket created by a private company in Europe. PLD Space has achieved something which only three companies in Europe has achieved, that being the development of rocket technology that is recoverable and reusable.
The launch of the MIURA 1 suborbital rocket comes 12 years after the creation of PLD Space. With this maiden flight, the Spanish company marks a turning point in the European space race, where small satellites are revolutionizing access to information to accelerate innovation in multiple sectors on Earth. With this launch, Spain becomes the tenth country in the world to have direct space capability. With this launch, Spain has become the tenth country in the world with the capacity to reach space.
The inaugural suborbital flight of MIURA 1 marks a pivotal moment for the MIURA 5 orbital launcher’s development. The data gathered will enable validation of nearly 70% of the design and technology set to be incorporated into MIURA 5.
At present, over 90% of the PLD Space team is dedicated to developing MIURA 5 with the maiden launch scheduled for 2025 at the European spaceport CSG in Kourou, French Guiana, with commercial operations set to begin in 2026.
“This launch culminates over 12 years of relentless effort, yet it marks just the start of our journey. This test flight has yielded valuable data, enabling us to validate crucial design elements and technologies that will underpin the development of our MIURA 5 orbital launcher.” — Raúl Torres, Launch Director and Co-Founder, PLD Space.
“This launch establishes PLD Space as the frontrunner in the European space race. We ventured into space fueled more by determination than resources, yet we triumphed. The team’s elation is visible. Indeed, the mission’s success is a collective accomplishment, encompassing our investors, partners, and suppliers.” — Ezequiel Sánchez, CEO, PLD Space
“Looking to the immediate future, the success of a test flight like this is gauged by the insights we gain, insights that enhance our future reliability and success rate. We developed MIURA 1 as a stepping stone to accelerate the technological advancement of MIURA 5. With this mission’s success, our team is poised to rapidly progress towards the inaugural flight of MIURA 5 – our ultimate goal.” — Raúl Verdú, Business Development Manager and Co-Founder, PLD Space
