PLD Space, the Spanish company, European leader in small satellite space launches, achieved a major milestone today for European Space after successfully completing yesterday morning the hot test of MIURA 1, from its launch base in El Arenosillo (Huelva). PLD Space faces with optimism the final stretch of its first experimental flight MIURA 1 SN1 Test Flight.
The test consisted of keeping the MIURA 1 engine on at full power for 5 seconds to check the perfect operation of different parameters and systems of the rocket (ignition system, temperature, and rocket pressure) in a simulation environment.
The company has already received permission from the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) to operate in a flight test window extending until May 31, although it is not yet possible to announce the exact day of the launch due to security reasons, weather forecasts and the dynamics involved in the launch operations.
Raul Torres, co-founder and CEO of PLD Space explains: "The objective of this first flight of the MIURA 1 SN1 technology demonstrator will be to gather as much information as possible to further validate much of the design and technology that will later be transferred and integrated into MIURA 5."
The MIURA 5 model will be the launcher with which PLD Space expects to start its commercial activity in 2025 and whose development phase has already started recently in the facilities that the company is currently expanding within the Teruel airport site.
Ezequiel Sanchez, CEO of the company further states: "In this experimental flight, our definition of success is that the rocket should be as far away from the launch pad as possible. We are aware that it is already an achievement for us, the industry and for all of Spain to be able to place MIURA1 on the launch pad. For every second MIURA 1 is in the air, we will be learning and gathering data for the development of MIURA 5. After 12 years, PLD Space will be the first private micro launcher company to reach this historic milestone in the European space race."
Raúl Verdú, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer, concludes: "Looking to the immediate future, the success of a test like this is measured by how much we can learn, which will improve our reliability and probability of success in the future. We did MIURA 1 to accelerate the technology development of MIURA 5 and we see the team moving forward with amazing speed."
Where will it be possible to watch the launch?
PLD Space will announce the launch countdown after the relevant INTA flight review a maximum of 48h before take-off and will broadcast the launch in live streaming format from its official Youtube account, website and social networks.