The first private Spanish rocket, ‘Miura 1’, fully developed by the Alicante company PLD Space, will be launched into space between the months of April and May from the Center for Experimentation of Aerospace Vehicles and Atmospheric Research of El Arenosillo (Cedea) of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) of Mazagón, in Huelva.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, together with the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, toured the facilities this Saturday to see first-hand the work carried out by the scientists, as well as the ‘Miura 1’ rocket itself.
During the presentation of the first private rocket in Europe, the founders of PLD Space, Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, together with the executive president, Ezequiel Sánchez, advanced the company’s plans for the coming months in an event that also brought together the general secretary of Innovation, Teresa Risk; the commissioner for the Aerospace Department, Miguel Belló, or the general director of INTA, Lieutenant General Julio Ayuso Miguel.
In his speech, Ezequiel Sánchez highlighted that “Europe is at a spatial crossroads. The options for access to space by European launchers for 2023 are very limited, between zero and two launches, something totally unusual for Europe and for this sector”.
The problem is that, “although man arrived in space 50 years ago, it is still a changing and complex challenge to maintain.” According to Ezequiel Sánchez, “avoiding a European space winter is a matter of investment”. In fact, the transformation of satellite manufacturers has made it necessary to reduce the cost structure of launchers and has revolutionized the way of working in the sector.
The co-founders of PLD Space assumed these difficulties and began working on a project that, 12 years later, is close to providing a new strategic capacity for Spain.
With the public presentation of ‘Miura 1’ in Huelva, one of the most outstanding milestones for PLD Space begins: the suborbital rocket flight demonstration campaign. The next step will take place in the company’s hangar in El Arenosillo, where the maintenance and launch preparation work will be carried out, which includes everything from pressure tests to propellant loading. When these tasks are finished, they will be assembled on the ramp and transferred to the launch base in Médano del Loro.
Already on the platform from which ‘Miura 1’ will fly, a series of rigorous tests will be carried out that will certify that the rocket is ready for flight. One of the most critical will be the ‘Wet Dress Rehearsal’ (full propellant load test), which includes all the launch steps prior to engine ignition.
Subsequently, the final test will be carried out: the ‘hot test’ (static fire test), in which the rocket motor will be turned on for five seconds and will serve to give the green light to the launch. At this time, INTA and PLD Space will formalize the formal flight review or ‘Flight Readiness Review’, (FRR), which will formalize the preparation of the ‘Miura 1’ launcher for its first launch.
Thus, the company will begin all final reviews, final technical checks and simulations for that big milestone.
Between April and May, PLD Space has different launch windows for the ‘Miura 1’ granted by the Ministry of Defense of Spain. In addition to the safety of the area, the launch is subject to the availability of the rocket itself and the weather conditions, since a surface wind speed of less than 20 kilometers per hour is required, a calm atmosphere of high winds and Absence of potential storms in the vicinity.
In this sense, the director of the launch, Raúl Torres, assured that “if during the launch procedure, which lasts about 10 hours, a minimal risk factor is detected, the operation of that day will be aborted and the next day will start from scratch.” flight window. We are always going to prefer delaying the flight to ending up with a dismantled rocket”.
