PLD Space develops MIURA 5 in record time and consolidates Europe’s leadership in space access

PLD Space is advancing towards the final validation of its MIURA 5 reusable orbital launcher, developed in a record time of just two years. This unprecedented achievement in Europe confirms the company’s industrial maturity and its capability to provide Spain and Europe with a new, sovereign access to space. 

The development of MIURA 5 builds on the experience gained from the MIURA 1 program and is rooted in a vertically integrated industrial model and a “test and learn” philosophy, where each test is an opportunity for improvement. “Reliability is built by testing. Every component, every engine and every system undergoes an exhaustive validation process before flying. That’s how you move fast — but safely,” said Raúl Torres, CEO and Co-founder of PLD Space.

MIURA 5: A European launcher built in record time

MIURA 5 is currently in the validation and qualification phase of all its critical subsystems — engines, structures, avionics, separation systems and fairing — after completing the engineering stage and the first development test campaigns.

In parallel, the company has begun semi-serial production of its TEPREL-C and TEPREL-C Vac engines, reaching a level of industrial maturity that will allow it to produce one engine every 14 days by the end of 2025. In addition to ongoing validation tests of critical TEPREL-C hardware — such as turbopumps and gas generators — PLD Space is successfully conducting hot-fire tests of fully integrated engines as part of its qualification campaign. 

The company’s goal is to complete full integration of the first MIURA 5 vehicle before the end of 2025 and to begin demonstration flights in 2026. The commercial phase of the launcher has already begun, with several launch slots reserved.

A new era for the Spanish aerospace industry

The success of MIURA 5 positions PLD Space as a European leader and Spain as a key player in shaping the future of space transportation. The company is driving the creation of a critical global capability, where access to space will be as decisive for industrial development as the Internet was for the digital era.

With more than €170 million in funding and a top-tier network of technological and industrial partners, PLD Space is leading the industrialization of Europe’s space sector from Spain, contributing to the continent’s strategic autonomy in space access. The company’s supply chain currently includes 397 key partners, mainly based in Spain and across Europe. Between 2024 and the first half of 2025, total investment in the MIURA 5 supplier network exceeded €50 million.

Talent and innovation made in Spain

PLD Space’s growth is driven by a young, highly qualified international team. In 2025, the company’s workforce grew by 40%, surpassing 400 employees, and is expected to reach 420 by year-end.

“This is the team that made it possible to develop an orbital rocket in half the time of our international competitors,” said Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space. “We are proving that we have what it takes to lead the next generation of space transportation — and that the future of innovation will be built in space.”

PLD Space currently operates more than 180,000 m² of proprietary infrastructure, including Europe’s largest private rocket test center in Teruel (Spain), recently expanded with new testing capabilities, and the upcoming Launch Complex in Kourou (French Guiana), from which MIURA 5 will perform its first missions in 2026.

The company expects to begin the industrialization phase in Q1 2026, scaling production toward a goal of 30 launches per year by 2030.