PLD Space, a company based in Elche, is set to make history in Europe by launching Miura 1– the continent’s first private rocket
The launch will take place on Wednesday, May 31, at the El Arenosillo Experimentation Centre, located at the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Huelva.
The liftoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM and will be streamed live on PLD Space’s YouTube channel. The presentation will be hosted by Sara Poveda, the first employee of PLD Space, and Roberto Palacios, a systems engineer for Miura 5.
According to a statement from PLD Space, the primary objective of the first experimental flight with Miura 1 is to gather a substantial amount of data to test the design, technology, and processes that will be implemented in the Miura 5 orbital launcher.
PLD Space aims to become the first Spanish company to launch small satellites on commercial flights into space using the Miura 5 rocket.
Since the arrival of Miura 1 in Huelva, PLD Space has conducted numerous tests, both individual and combined, to ensure the proper functioning of the launcher, launch infrastructure, and ground segment.
Emphasizing the significance of every second of the flight, PLD Space considers each moment that Miura 1 spends in the air as a success and a milestone.
The mission’s key objectives include gathering extensive flight data, which will be crucial for identifying potential improvements or modifications for the future Miura 5 orbital launcher.
During the flight, the launcher will aim to achieve microgravity conditions for the payloads on board, which will occur after the engine shutdown event (MECO) and the initiation of the ballistic flight phase.
This inaugural mission will enable PLD Space to test the operation of essential technologies in flight, which has not been possible until now.
Specifically, they will analyze the engine’s thrust profile under flying conditions, study the launcher’s aerodynamic behaviour, monitor the nominal trajectory, assess the nominal behaviour of all subsystems under real conditions, and examine the exposure to actual space conditions.
