The launch of the Miura-1 suborbital rocket, developed by the Spanish company PLD Space, was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. The El Arenosillo Experimentation Center in Huelva was to be the launch site in collaboration with the National Institute for Aerospace Technology, but the necessary permission to carry out the test had not been obtained.
PLD Space reported in a tweet that the first launch attempt of the Miura-1 was cancelled due to strong wind gusts at altitudes between 8 and 12 kilometers, which exceeded the recommended safety limits. Both Sara Poveda, PLD Space’s first employee, and Roberto Palacios, systems engineer of the Miura-5 orbital rocket, confirmed that intense winds were recorded at altitude, outside the established limits.
So far, no information on the new launch date has been provided.
The Miura-1 is designed to reach a maximum altitude of 153 kilometers and carry a payload of up to 100 kilograms. It is expected to perform up to four missions per year.
The Miura-1 launches will help expand the flight requirements that will be used in the development of the Miura-5 orbital rocket, also by PLD Space. The Miura-5 is scheduled to be launched late next year from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.