In a historic milestone for Spain, the company PLD Space managed to successfully launch its Miura 1 rocket from the south of the country, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in the national space race. The launch, which took place at 02:19 from a military base in the province of Huelva, achieved all primary objectives related to engine thrust and trajectory tracking.
The ship, weighing 2.5 tons, reached a height of 46 km above the Gulf of Cádiz, high enough to leave the atmosphere but not high enough to enter orbit around the Earth. This achievement makes Spain the tenth country in the world with direct space capabilities.
This inaugural launch marks the result of more than 12 years of hard work for PLD Space and signals the beginning of a promising future. The Miura 1 rocket will serve as the basis for the development of the Miura 5, a 35-meter-high, two-stage minilauncher designed to put satellites weighing less than 500 kilograms into orbit starting in 2025. The first launch of the Miura 5 is planned to take place at the European CSG spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in 2025, with commercial operations beginning in 2026.
PLD Space, supported by public funding, aims to establish itself as a strong industrial presence in the space market. This feat represents a significant step for Spain in the space industry and marks the beginning of a new era in national space exploration.