Spanish Rocket Passes Integration Stage, Sets Sights on Mid-2027 Debut
PLD Space is advancing its Miura 5 vehicle toward qualification testing at its Teruel facility.
By Lucas Chen ·
A Spanish aerospace company is moving forward with preparations for its first orbital mission, aiming for a launch window before mid-2027. PLD Space announced on October 19 that its Miura 5 rocket is nearing the end of the manufacturing phase, marking a significant transition from construction to active testing. The company is currently focused on qualifying the vehicle's systems to ensure safety and reliability ahead of its inaugural flight.
The first stage of integration is complete for the second stage of one Miura 5 vehicle. This hardware has been transported to PLD’s test facility in Teruel to begin a series of critical procedures. The campaign will include a wet dress rehearsal, which simulates the full fueling sequence, followed by a static hot-fire test where the engines will ignite while the rocket remains secured to the ground.
PLD Space has manufactured three separate Miura 5 vehicles to date. While the primary goal is the upcoming launch, the additional units are being used to qualify specific subsystems and components. According to CEO Raúl Torres, building these three rockets in parallel has allowed the workforce to remain engaged across various production stages while applying lessons learned from one campaign to the next.
“Manufacturing these three vehicles has allowed our teams to work continuously across different stages of production and integration, applying the lessons learned from each qualification campaign directly to the launch vehicle,” Torres said. This strategy is intended to streamline the process of reaching flight readiness by identifying and resolving issues early in the development cycle.
The Miura 5 is a small-lift vehicle designed to carry payloads to orbit. Its development is a key part of Spain's growing domestic space infrastructure, providing a dedicated launch capability for smaller satellites. The vehicle is designed to be reusable, a feature that aims to lower the cost of access to space for European customers.
The schedule outlined by the company indicates that the vehicle will be ready for launch before mid-2027. The upcoming tests at the Teruel facility are the final steps before the rocket can be cleared for flight operations. Successful completion of the wet dress rehearsal and static fire will confirm that the propulsion systems are functioning as designed under operational pressures.
The aerospace sector in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region continues to monitor international developments as the global launch market expands. New entrants like PLD Space are joining a crowded field that includes major providers in the United States. The availability of additional launch providers is generally viewed as a positive development for the industry, offering more capacity and redundancy for satellite operators.
As the integration phase concludes, attention shifts to the qualification campaign. The results of these ground tests will determine the timeline for moving the rocket to a launch pad. PLD Space is proceeding with a schedule that prioritizes system verification before attempting to reach orbit.
Source: Ars Technica · original report published
