The space race is framed as an ecological effort despite the vast amounts of fuel consumed in each launch. That is the ambition of Elche-based PLD Space by year’s end, as the first Spanish company to venture a rocket into space, signaling a future where engines could run on fuels sourced from renewables. A close ally in this plan is energy firm Repsol, which will join to develop these renewables.
Both companies announced the collaboration this Thursday, highlighting a trailblazing deal aimed at cutting the carbon footprint of launches to levels well below current norms, possibly more than 90 percent reduction or even negative emissions in certain scenarios.
To that end, they will conduct feasibility studies to test replacing existing fuels with options derived from sustainable materials. The focus includes the propulsion needs of PLD Space rockets and the design of new renewable fuels, measured at the Repsol Technology Lab for the MIURA series of recoverable micro-launchers.
Specifically, Repsol will formulate fuels from advanced biofuels made from waste material or synthetic fuels produced from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2, aiming to minimize the climate impact of rocket propulsion.
Javier Ariztegui, senior manager of Product Design at Repsol Technology, explained that the project will allow the Spanish energy company to apply its long-standing knowledge in fuel formulation across various sectors, including the development of a sustainable fuel for space vehicles.
salvage rockets
In line with this philosophy, PLD Space co-founder Raul Verdu notes that sustainability runs through the company from Elche. The rockets they develop are fully recoverable and reusable, a stance the firm publicly committed to in Europe as evidence of its environmental pledge. The team intends to keep exploring options to lower the carbon footprint of propulsion even further.
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PLD Space is advancing two reusable microstarters. The first has already completed tests and is slated for a space launch by year’s end. This demonstrator will validate the technology later used in the MIURA 5, which will target commercial satellite deployments.
The initial engines rely on Jet-A1 fuel, commonly used in aviation, while the propellant for MIURA 5 blends a fuel with an oxidizer, typically oxygen, following industry standards.
One major challenge is preserving performance while reducing environmental impact in the MIURA micro-launchers, according to PLD Space’s propulsion lead, Francesco Spaletta, who emphasizes the balance between keeping high performance and cutting emissions.
On the fuel side, Repsol produces biofuels in industrial plants. These fuels come from oils and sustainable plant matter, biomass, agricultural and forestry residues, or used cooking oils, among other sources. They can be used in existing engines and fueling infrastructure without changes, serving all transportation sectors, especially those with limited alternatives such as aviation, maritime transport, and heavy road transport, where electrification is lagging.
In the first half of 2023, Repsol announced its Cartagena biofuel plant would produce 250,000 tons of advanced biofuel from waste. Meanwhile, the Bilbao multi-energy entity is advancing in synthetic fuel production, with a plant entering the pilot stage in 2024.
PLD Space had planned to launch the MIURA 1 prototype in the second half of 2022 and to carry out the first true space mission with MIURA 5 in 2024. Based in Elche (Alicante) with facilities in Teruel, Huelva, and French Guiana, the company has invested more than 45 million euros to push its space ambitions forward.