Countdown to a historic milestone: the first Spanish rocket and the first European private venture to place a satellite into orbit will launch from Huelva. Details of the departure from Elche and the Miura 1 arrival remain highly confidential for security reasons, but it is confirmed that the rocket will be in the land of Huelva this Saturday, March 11. The launch base is the El Arenosillo Experimental Center (Cedea), in Mazagón, Moguer, where the takeoff will occur.
Initial launch tests were planned for March with a later takeoff, but the schedule shifted, and trials may now occur in April. This represents a crucial step before achieving orbital capability. The exact timing for this historic launch remains uncertain, as it depends on multiple factors. The PLD Space team has been finalizing preparations and conducting tests at the company facilities in the Elche business park, preparing for a robust demonstration in the first half of the year.
The company has already relocated to Huelva and will conduct several tests and launch windows in the coming months. The Miura 1 rocket will travel with a support team to Huelva. The operation involves a substantial crew and infrastructure in place to support the mission.
Takeoff platform ready for launch of Elche rocket in Huelva
The Miura 1 represents Spain’s first privately developed rocket intended for small-satellite launches. It is designed to carry micro payloads into space and to be tested and demonstrated from the Elche facility. The launch will bring together industry leaders this weekend in Huelva, highlighting the readiness of the launch site near the Cedea facility and the second-quarter 2023 plan for initial operations.
The launch pad is prepared to host what could become the first commercial cargo vehicle to reach space. The CEO has shared images of the platform facing the Atlantic coast near the Médano del Loro military firing range, adjacent to the Cedea complex and in proximity to Doñana National Park.
The launch pad is ready in Huelva for the Elche Miura 1 rocket. Information
The project, developed entirely in Spain and aiming to be the first private rocket to reach space, is expected to mark a milestone in the European aerospace sector. It positions Spain as a rising player capable of launching small satellites essential for telecommunications, defense, and scientific research.
The Miura 1 is Europe’s first private rocket launched into space. A micro launcher 12.5 meters long and weighing 2,500 kilograms at liftoff, it aims to deliver small payloads into orbit and return safely to Earth.
suborbital flight
In practice, Miura 1 serves as a technology demonstrator to validate about 70 percent of the technology that will be used in Miura 5, the larger rocket planned for actual deployment in commercial tasks as early as 2024. Miura 1 is intended for a suborbital mission, rising to around 150 kilometers with a 12‑minute flight time, delivering a three-minute microgravity window for experiments. The vehicle will descend by parachute into the Atlantic, roughly 70 kilometers from the launch point, where it will be recovered by vessel.
The mission will also carry various tools to enable experiments under different gravitational conditions and environments. The Miura 1 prototype was first presented assembled in 2021, with a full system test conducted in November 2022. During this period, the team analyzed data and implemented necessary adjustments. Parallel to this work, the operations team conducted construction on the launch unit, preparing for a takeoff from El Arenosillo in the second quarter of 2023. The vehicle, incorporating lessons from fire tests, was to be completed by October. After final tests at the company’s Teruel test facility, the rocket would be sent to Huelva for its inaugural flight.
The first Spanish rocket leaves Elche next week to take off from Huelva in March
The initiative originated within the UMH Science Park, founded by Elche residents in 2011, and has grown into a substantial project with significant investment. The venture has attracted strategic and minority investors, enabling continued growth and the potential for a broader funding round, including the possibility of an initial public offering down the line.
Alongside the support of investors and industry partners, PLD Space’s roadmap includes the Miura 5 program and a €150 million funding round aimed at scaling production, expanding facilities, and preparing for subsequent large-scale launches. The firm has outlined a plan for a two-year Miura 5 flight program from a location in French Guiana starting in 2024, with intent to ramp up to roughly 10 to 12 launches annually. The Elche team, now around 120 people, has been recognized as a Strategic Regional Project by the regional government.