Spanish Startup Aims at Critical Rocket Launch for Western Europe

As Europe An Elche-based startup is stepping up efforts to launch commercial rockets into space. PLD space I want Spain on the map. The company plans to launch the first civilian reusable rocket from Western Europe.

The Miura 1 rocket, named after a breed of bull famous for its bullfighting tradition in Spain, is set for its maiden voyage later this year, although no launch date has been given.

The Miura 1 was unveiled on March 11 and the Spanish Prime Minister hailed it as a key development that will make the country “a pioneer in this emerging but powerful industry”.

Welcome Miura 1♥️ pic.twitter.com/KBi5aifa5L

— PLD Space (@PLD_Space) March 11, 2023

PLD Space is rocket It is already undergoing pre-flight testing at a designated location in Leva, southern Spain.

Activity at Huelva’s launch site is frenetic.

Started pre-flight testing of MIURA 1 in its own environment and so far everything is going according to plan 🌅🚀 #VAMOSMIURA1 #MIURA1

— PLD Space (@PLD_Space) March 16, 2023

The Miura 1 is a suborbital micro-launcher privately developed in Europe and designed with two missions in mind. It delivers commercial payloads to and from space, enabling research and technology development under microgravity conditions.

The mirolauncher has 4 payload compartments and a cargo capacity of 100kg. Miura 1 has a standard flight time of her 12 minutes and can travel up to an altitude of 150 km. This is the peak of ballistic flight.

Miura 1 can spend 3-4 minutes in microgravity and will have 4 hours to retrieve its payload after flight. The startup says it will do four missions a year.

The expected launch will be an important step in strengthening Spain’s international standing. SkyLast November, the European Space Agency First two Spanish cosmonauts recruited Thirty years later, in March, the country home space agency The initial budget for this year is more than 700 million.

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