new milestone for ilicitana PLD Area. The company, headed by Ezequiel Sánchez, successfully completing flight mission rehearsal, This means that its first rocket, Miura 1, is now ready to fly, according to the company’s statement on its social networks. In this way, the signature first european company micro-starters to achieve this.
The company is the first with this test qualified campaign tests of the suborbital rocket, that is, the purpose make sure all aircraft subsystems are working properly Finally to do a full combined test. While PLD Space has already tested and verified each of these subsystems that make up the launch vehicle, it has not yet tested all of them as integrated, which is a sure step forward to continue moving forward, as the firm explained.
Specifically, this campaign consisted of several working validation tests and three static firing (also called “hot test” or static tests): five, 20 and 110 seconds. The latter known as flight mission testis the key to the future of the vehicle because simulates all conditions of a real launch, just not flying. “We’re really making the rocket think you’re on your way to space“, says co-founder, CEO and launch director of PLD Space, Raul Torres.
this test 110 seconds This is roughly equivalent to the amount of time the engine stays on in a real launch. Its main purpose is to check the correct operation of all subsystems during a simulated flight. With the information obtained in different tests, the PLD Space team, verify that each of the parts is correct If the rocket works or does not work as expected, use this data to fine-tune all the parameters of the first flight unit.
For example, as reported by company executives, a malfunction was detected in the device during a test on July 19 that should have been canceled after six seconds. oxygen tank pressurization. A problem that has already been solved thanks to the knowledge gained through testing.
royal launch
If everything goes according to plan, start your rocket will occur end of the year From its base in El Arenosillo in Huelva. Thus, the company has already started to produce the unit that it will send into space.
In reality, the Miura 1 is what Elche calls a technology demonstrator that the company wants. test 70% of the technology to be applied later miura5, rocket that will actually start performing commercial cargo missions and commissioning is scheduled for 2024.
In this sense, another important progress was achieved in the career of the company when it was announced to the public that the company is one of the seven companies in the same week. Pre-selected to be able to work from the Guyana Space Center (CSG) at Kourou.
The PLD Space manifesto plans to launch in 2024 with: two-year assignment Flight Miura 5 from French Guiana they will increase gradually until you reach Between 10 and 12 pitches year. Currently, the firm is developing the design and construction activities of the launch infrastructure in Kourou, as well as the management of operational needs.
To meet this strategic milestone, PLD Space plans to expand its operations. Technical facilities in Teruel and herb Production at Elchewhere to find your new facilities IFA extension areas He said that Generalitat has just left the fairgrounds in the salvage operation and wants to place a pillar of innovative companies. Elche will also increase its team, which currently consists of more than 110 professionals and expects to grow to 200 next year.
Last December, the company managed to close a new 25 million funding roundArcano Partners is in an operation led by Aciturri and the Center for Industrial Technological Development, bringing the total capital provided by the company to over 45 million. PLD has ten years of experience developing its technology to become the first Spanish company to launch rockets into space.
In this sense, as the head of the company emphasized, today’s test itself is already a milestone. “We The first private company in European history he succeeded,” noted the executive. According to him, this success helps place Spain in a “strong position” in the European space race. the market accelerates We are very pleased to be the first company in Europe to make a rocket ready to fly,” said Sánchez, adding, “This fact makes our project strategic not only for our country, but also for Europe, and it is a clear reference for Turkey. profitability of investing in innovation and attract talent”, insisted the head of the firm.