Miura-1 Rocket: Europe’s First Private Rocket Launch

October 9, 2023

Spanish aerospace company PLD Space has achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching its recoverable Miura-1 rocket. This achievement marks Europe’s first fully private rocket launch and offers a glimmer of hope for Europe’s space ambitions. The Miura-1 rocket, named after a fighting bull, conducted a suborbital test flight with the goal of gathering crucial data for future missions.

The Miura-1 Rocket

The Miura-1 is a single-stage rocket standing at an impressive 41 feet (12.5 meters) tall. It has a payload capacity of approximately 220 pounds (100 kilograms) for suborbital space flights. The rocket is designed with the capability for recovery, making it a pioneering project in Europe.

Mission Objectives

The primary objective of the Miura-1 rocket’s debut mission was to conduct a suborbital test flight. During this flight, an experiment from the German Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity was carried out to study microgravity conditions. Additionally, PLD Space placed photos of its employees on board to commemorate this milestone moment. The mission culminated with the rocket’s splashdown into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Path to Miura-5

PLD Space has ambitious plans for the future. The Miura-5, an orbital rocket featuring a reusable first stage, is scheduled to launch as early as 2025 and enter service in 2026. This larger rocket will operate from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Challenges and Scrubbed Attempts

The path to success for the Miura-1 rocket was not without challenges. An initial launch attempt in June was aborted just 0.2 seconds before liftoff due to a cable issue. Subsequent investigations revealed that the cable had indeed been released but with a slight delay. Persistence paid off, leading to the successful launch in October.

Europe’s Evolving Space Ambitions

The successful launch of the Miura-1 rocket underscores Europe’s determination to bolster its capabilities in space exploration. Recent disruptions to European space launches, including delays in the Ariane 6 program and technical issues with the Vega-C rocket, have highlighted the importance of private ventures like PLD Space in filling the gap. Europe is actively seeking to regain autonomous access to space, and the Miura-1 launch represents a significant step in that direction.

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