Spanish startup PLD Space has secured an €11 million loan to develop a launch site for its Miura 5 rocket, a partially reusable orbital launcher poised to become Europe’s first privately built satellite launcher. The facility, located at French Guiana’s spaceport, is estimated to cost €16 million and will host test and flight campaigns for Miura 5, with a maiden flight planned for late 2025.
Founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has raised €170 million to date. Beyond Miura 5, the company envisions Miura Next, a heavy-lift reusable rocket family, and the Lince capsule, Europe’s first private manned spacecraft.
The European space race is intensifying as PLD competes with German startups RFA and Isar Aerospace to lead private orbital launches. With a growing space economy projected to exceed €1 trillion by 2030, companies like PLD Space are pivotal in reducing Europe’s reliance on foreign powers for space access.
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