Spain will launch a privately manufactured mini-rocket

A first mini-rocket manufactured by a Spanish company will be launched in “a few weeks” in Spain, its Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced this Saturday, whose country is in the space race that is in full swing in Europe.

“When this rocket is launched, all Spaniards will see it on our screens, and I know that when, in a few weeks, Miura 1 begins its journey, the dedication and work of many people (…) will have been worth it”, said the head of the Socialist Government from the launch base of El Arenosillo in Huelva, Andalusia (south).

Miura 1 is a mini-fusée conçue par PLD Space, censée pouvoir effectuer jusqu’à quatre missions par an et qui pourra transporter des marchandises “dans l’espace et les ramener en toute sécurité”, according to the internet site of the start-up Spanish. “Your dream is shared by all of Spanish society, because we are moved by a common objective, which is to place Spain at the forefront of this not only emerging but also powerful industry, which is space transport”, Pedro Sánchez also estimated.

Various ongoing projects

“Spain demonstrates its technological leadership in Europe, providing a capacity that can allow us to lead in the strategic segment of small satellites,” declared Ezequiel Sánchez, president of PLD Space, with him. Following the launch of Miura 1, the company plans to launch Miura 5, a reusable space vehicle capable of launching small satellites, in 2024.

Europe is currently experiencing strong development of space bases for launching satellites into Earth orbit, due to the growing popularity of small rockets. For a long time, satellites were mainly used for institutional missions by national space agencies with their own launch pads, but the market has exploded with the arrival of private players and the reduction in the size of satellites.

In addition to Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany and Iceland are advancing in projects to put satellites into orbit. Pedro Sánchez’s announcement comes the same day that, for the first time, he will take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, a 3D-printed rocket, developed by the company Relativity Space.