In the first half of 2025, PLD Space has made notable advances in the development of MIURA 5, its reusable orbital launcher, as well as the infrastructure required for its launch from the European spaceport CSG, owned by CNES, in French Guiana. The engineering team has worked intensively on iterating the launcher’s design, integrating test data to maximize performance and ensure vehicle reliability. This agile approach has allowed parallel progress across all subsystems, speeding up the manufacturing of models to rigorously meet program deadlines.
During these months, critical metal structures such as the propellant tanks for the first and second stages have been manufactured and integrated, along with composite material components like the fairing and interstage. These elements have passed demanding validation tests, including structural tests at ambient and cryogenic temperatures, compression, bending, and separation tests, ensuring the designs meet flight requirements.
At the same time, the propulsion team has continued manufacturing and testing the engines, focusing efforts on validating advanced production processes such as electrodeposition and additive manufacturing of key components. These tests have been crucial to guarantee the proper performance of the main hardware of the TEPREL-C engine, as a preparatory step for the flight qualification campaign.
In launch operations, PLD Space reached a decisive milestone in June with the signing of the development contract for the MIURA 5 Launch Complex at CSG with the French space agency CNES. This agreement allows PLD Space to begin civil works in the ELM-Diamant area of the CSG this summer 2025, ensuring a fully operational infrastructure in time for MIURA 5’s first launch, scheduled for 2026.
This series of advances strengthens the company’s position as one of Europe’s leading players in space access, consolidating its competitive technological proposal based on internal industrial capabilities. In this way, PLD Space continues to pave the way for a new generation of European launchers.
Click here to learn more about the Launch Vehicle Platforms listed on SATNow
