He Miura 1The first reusable Spanish rocket capable of putting cargo into space and developed by a private company PLD Space (30% public funding), already at the take-off platform of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology’s (INTA) aerospace base facilities in Hulva, between the coastal areas of Mazagon and Madalascanas. The launch is scheduled for 2am Spanish Peninsula Time and will be broadcast on EL PAÍS from 1pm this Friday to Saturday. With this flight, the company is trying to capture space for Spain, a destination that is only accessible to nine countries so far.
The company said that all pre-takeoff operations are going on normally without any incident, weather forecast is favorable and loading of thrusters has started.
The mission completed all the steps before departure, culminating in two general rehearsals. Wet dress rehearsal (WDR), in which all equipment required for flight is tested.
The launch follows two failed attempts: the first on May 31 due to winds at an altitude unsuitable for the mission and the other in June which failed at the last half-second due to a delay in the release of the charging cables. The rocket’s navigation systems remain attached to the platform until the last minute.
Fire risk and the presence of holidaymakers in the highly populated area during the summer months have prevented the launch until now, taking advantage of the favorable weather forecast and a significant reduction in accidental fire risk in the center of Tonana. Nature park, presence of biosphere.
During recent tests, BLT Space has tested the umbilical connections between the rocket and the launch pad and replicated the release of these cables vertically by the rocket. Both Wet dress rehearsal (WDR) has allowed simulation of the entire process up to takeoff, including the immediate post-launch operations.
12 minute heart attack
After ignition, the Miura 1 – named after the brave cattle ranch and emblematic of the Spanish brand – will initiate the take-off phase and turning maneuvers to follow the planned route.
After a few minutes, it will reach the microgravity zone, located about 30 kilometers away, and reach an apogee at an altitude of about 80 kilometers and in space conditions (outside the atmosphere). From there, the rocket exits the microgravity region and begins a descent maneuver to deploy the primary parachute. With the help of airbrakes, updated after tests carried out in Teruel in September and the main parachute, Miura 1 It will be picked up for landing on the coast of Huelva, taken to the port of Mazagón and then transferred to Teruel to analyze all the test results. In total, 12 heart-stopping minutes.
PLD Space predicts possible scenarios related to trajectory degradation or behavior of some of its subsystems during microlauncher flight.
“The first launch success rate in the industry is approximately 45%,” highlighted Ezequiel Sánchez, CEO of PLD Space. “We know that we have taken on a challenge at the highest level in European industry, but we face it with confidence and leadership. Knowledge That we are accumulating.”
PLD Space is a Spanish company in the space industry that develops reusable rockets. It was founded in 2011 by Raul Torres and Raul Verdu in Elche (Alicante) and has technical facilities in Teruel, Huelva and French Guiana. It has already reached an investment of more than 65 million euros to develop its space sector program and has a team of more than 150 experts.
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