A visit to PLD Space, creator of the Miura 5, the first two-stage Spanish space rocket

One of the many sources of pride for Spanish industry is currently focused on space.

The first photos of the QM1 of the Miura 5, the first two-stage Spanish space rocket
The launch of the Miura 1, the first Spanish space rocket, from different angles

PLD Space is a Spanish company founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres, Raúl Verdú, and José Enrique Martínez. It currently has around 400 employees. The company is headquartered in Elche (Alicante) and has facilities in Teruel, Huelva, and French Guiana. As you may recall, in October 2023, PLD Space launched the first Spanish space rocket, the Miura 1, achieving a true milestone within reach of very few private companies worldwide.

PLD Space is currently working on the Miura 5, Spain's first two-stage space rocket. It will be 35.7 meters long and 2 meters in diameter and will have two stages. The first stage will be equipped with five TEPREL-C engines with a thrust of 190 kN each (the powerful Eurojet EJ200 engine of a Eurofighter generates a thrust of 89.9 kN in afterburner).

The presentation of this rocket is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. Afterward, the rocket will travel to the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, from where the European Space Agency launches its rockets. In November, we were able to see the first photos of the first qualification model (QM1) of the Miura 5.

Putting a rocket into space is an extremely difficult task, especially when we're talking about a rocket the size of the Miura 5. This difficulty increases when we're talking about a space vehicle for which PLD Space aims to perform 30 launches per year, as the Miura 5 will be a reusable orbital launcher. Given this, the speed with which this project has been developed is astonishing, especially considering that most of the rocket's components are manufactured domestically, which implies a thorough design, manufacturing, and testing process.

This afternoon, the always interesting Spanish YouTube channel Control de Misión (which I recommend you subscribe to if you're interested in anything space-related) published an excellent report visiting the PLD Space facilities in Elche and Teruel, showcasing their work and speaking with the company's managers. I loved the video. As a Spaniard, I was already proud to know that a project like this is being carried out in my country, but after seeing all the work behind it, I feel even more proud (the video is in Spanish; you can activate automatic English subtitles in the player's bottom bar):

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Main photo: Raúl Torres. Raúl Torres, CEO of PLD Space, next to the second stage of the Miura 5 rocket.