Spanish company PLD Space has become the main space company in Europe. They designed the Miura 5 rocket to send a special satellite into space.
Spain rose to the leadership The new space race of the 21st century released by private companies. Big companies are now doing what government institutions did until ten years ago. space carriers. They are responsible for sending satellites into space on rockets on behalf of other companies that need them in orbit, such as telephone companies.
Perhaps Elon Musk’s Space X is the most well-known. This is not surprising, given the notoriety of its creator and America’s tradition of supporting science and engineering. But the South African businessman has a European rival: PLD AreaAn Alicante company based in Elche.
Space industry in Europe
Although in other countries Germany, France or the United Kingdom There are also companies that can send satellites into space using rockets, the Spanish company is the only company that does this. has already made its first launch. Miura 1 was the first ‘Spanish brand’ rocket to go into space. The year was 2023 and the mission was successful. At that time, only rockets were launched without carrying satellites. next departure It will take place in late 2025 or early 2026.
Miura 5 takes its name from the breeding of brave bulls, which are the symbol of power and courage of the Spanish. 30 missions per year. The launch will take place from French Guiana, the only European Space Center where a mission with these features can be carried out, albeit on Latin American soil.
The space industry is transforming, and in the midst of this transformation, thanks to the miniaturization of satellites development of new technologiesMore and more companies need it. launch your own satellite into spaceIt’s something the Miuras plan to take care of.
The CEO and co-founder of this company said in a statement to ‘Euronews’: Raul Torres explains what its purpose is: “The purpose of this rocket is providing launch services for satellites This can be from the size of a milk carton to the size of a car.
PLD Space is achieving many milestones, such as reducing the production time of such rockets by half or less. reuse your structures By developing a system when they return to land landing This will ensure that they will not be damaged by the impact of the fall on their return to earth.
Until now, Elon Musk was offering this service in the United States, but until PLD developed it, Europe was left orphaned by a project with these features. “What Elon Musk did was take advantage of the fact that: The American space industry was very old. “to give it a revolution with the support of private capital,” says the founder.
Torres regrets that “this isn’t happening” in Europe if we compare ourselves to the rest of the world.we are in the third league“First comes the USA, then China and then Europe.”
Europe’s failure to prioritize space production may bring some risks. “If Europe becomes a recipient of services but does not develop anything, the day there is a shortage or a problem, we will be left without service“Torres tells.
How were PLD Space and the Miura project born?
He decided to establish this company years ago. This is not just an example technological and industrial innovationAlso entrepreneurship. “We were two young students and we had the goal of developing a rocket that we could launch into space,” he says. Now they not only developed the project they once dreamed of, but also became a project. driving force of the world economyIt provides employment to 280 people. It is a unique multicultural spot with employees from 19 different countries.
“People Türkiye, India, United States. In fact, we currently have 19 nations. There are many Italians, good aviation engineers come out of Milan. We also have a lot of French people,” explains the personnel manager. José Andrés Sánchez.
The heroic thing about this project is that almost the entire rocket production process depends on them internally. “We have different processes: machining, sheet metal forming, welding, x-ray“Different types of liquid or ultrasonic examinations.” Raúl Torres explains to us with excitement and pride.
PLD CEO boasts of having ‘improved a lot’ Made for the first time in Europe“It was pretty complicated, but we build rockets, so we have the capability to do anything,” he boasts. support from private investors and European fundsnational and regional.
In fact, they not only developed rockets, but also a Space capsule called Lince In the future, astronauts will be able to go to space to perform missions. this one historical event Thanks to this initiative, Spain has taken the lead in the race in the field of European space development. No miura had ever gone this far before.
