Miura 5 of Pld Space

After the flight of Isar Aospace flight and a sudden change of CEO in RFA, the Spanish company PLD Space cuts distances in The race to put in orbit The first European private rocket.

From Miura 1 to Miura 5. Founded by the Ilicitanos Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú in 2011, PLD Space successfully launched The suborbital rocket Miura 1 from Huelva In 2023. The 12.5 meter pitcher served as a test bench to validate many of the technologies that PLD Space has now been able to apply directly to his older brother, Miura 5.

Miura 5 is A two -stage orbital rocket and 35.7 meters high Designed to put up to 540 kg in polar orbit or 1,080 kg in the low terrestrial orbit. Your heart is five trell-c engines of liquid oxygen and oxygen, internally developed with a total thrust of 950 kN. The second stage uses an optimized version for the emptiness of the same engine.

First tests in Teruel. The new PLD Space headquarters is a 12,500 square meter factory located in Elche. It can produce up to six and 60 treprel-C per year. However, the engines’s trial center and the Spanish rocket is located at Teruel airport.

At the end of 2024, PLD raised a 20 -meter test tower in its Teruel facilities to submit tanks and other structural components to pressure tests at cryogenic temperatures. In addition, he adapted the Miura 1 test banks to validate components of the new engines, and is building a new bank capable of trying three of these engines at the same time.

With the height of a person, Treprel-C engines have the largest liquid propellant combustion chamber that has developed a commercial company with private capital in Europe.

Worse funded, but growing. Unlike the German Isar Aerospace, which has a financing of 400 million euros, PLD Space has raised 170 million With the support of the aerospace belonging (40.5 million in the second phase), syndicated loans (31.2 million Santander, EBN and ICO), public financing (11 million co -confisses) and ESA contracts, Like the Boost program! to launch before 2027.

PLD Space also has the client portfolio almost full. The Spanish company claims to have covered more than 80% of its launch holes up to 2027, which translates into an income forecast of 596 million euros.

Just a few days ago, PLD closed an agreement With the D-AORIT space logistics company to launch its Ion Orbital Transfer vehicle and other satellites to equatorial orbits. In addition, they have exceeded 300 employees and grow at a rate of 15 hiring per month, especially in technical and business profiles.

Two space ports. The main base of Miura 5 will be the European Space Puerto of Kouroou, in the French Guiana. PLD Space reached an agreement with the French Space Agency CNES for the construction of the complex.

On the other hand, in February 2025 he announced his Second launch base In the Etlaq Space Puerto, in Oman. This movement will give PLD Space direct access to the Middle East market from 2027. The company also raises a third base to reach 30 launches a year from 2030.

When will Miura 5 and its rivals fly? Although Raúl Torres, the PLD Space CEO, He opted money to Miura 5 would fly in 2025the inaugural flight of the rocket is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

Miura 5 will not be alone, although the last months have been moved for some of the main rivals. Isar Aerospace made his Spectrum rocket take off from Andøyain Norway, on March 30, but joy lasted little: at 20-25 seconds, the rocket lost control, He turned around and activated his self -destruction systemfalling to the sea near the platform. There is still no new date for the second attempt.

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), another heavyweight based in Germany, suffered a capital reverse in August 2024: The explosion of your first stagewhich has delayed its first flight to not before the third quarter of 2025. Just a few days ago, Stefan Tweraser, signed in 2021 as CEO, It was replaced by Indulis Kalninsa veteran of the aerospace industry.

Maiaspace, A spinoff of the French group Arianegroupit is also in the race, with the advantage of belonging to the company that has maintained the coheretes of Europe next to Avio for decades. The other two great competitors of PLD Space host in the United Kingdom: Orbex, with their little prime rocket (180 kg to orbit Heliosíncrona) plans its first flight by 2025. Skyorora and its Skyorra XL rocket (315 kg capacity) also point to this same year.

Image | PLD Space

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