PLD Space Invests 4+ Million to Expand its Facilities for Miura 5 Test

The company PLD Space, which develops the first Spanish-made space rocket Miura 5, will expand its engine testing facilities at Teruel airport with a 4+ million euro investment. In the next two years, the company plans to build three test benches for the reactors that will power Miura 5 tests, a rocket development based on the Miura 1 propulsion systems.

PLD Space Partner on Facility Expansion

One of the proprietary partners of PLD, Raúl Torres, explained that the company is finalising the financing round to develop extra space in Elche (Alicante), the company’s headquarters, and in Teruel, where it has its test facility. The extension of the facilities will allow going from the current 70 jobs to 200; 15 of those will be based at the Teruel airport.

Torres said that the expansion of the Teruel workforce, currently limited to two workers, will include experts engaged in the integration of rocket components and maintenance of the facilities. He has announced that the company wants to reinforce its assembly work in the city.

Upcoming Miura 1 & Miura 5 Test

Raúl Torres has indicated that with the three test benches for the Miura 5 test, the pace of work will skyrocket, and the test rounds will take place every week. The PLD Space manager has added that 100% of the work and service contracts required for the expansion will be made with local companies, except for equipment or technologies that are not available in the province.

At the moment, the two existing test benches, called T1 and T2, are dedicated to testing the engines of the Miura 1 rocket. This October, the 13-metre carrier will be fully and vertically tested for the first time, although without commercial cargo.

Miura 1 will carry a 100-kg payload for microgravity research and technological development. Once the carrier is proven operational, PLD Space will use its first propulsion system version in Miura 5 test and development.