Engineering:PLD Space
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Launch service provider |
| Fate | Active |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú |
| Headquarters | Elche, Spain |
Key people | Raúl Torres (co-founder & CEO); Raúl Verdú (co-founder & CBDO); Eleazar González (CTO); Juny Crespo (COO) |
| Products | Miura 1 rocket Miura 5 rocket |
| Services | Suborbital & orbital rocket launch; Rocket engine testing |
Number of employees | ~ 40 (September 2019) |
| Website | pldspace.com |
Payload Aerospace S.L. (PLD Space) is a Spanish company developing two partially-reusable launch vehicles called Miura 1 and Miura 5.
Miura 1 is designed as a sounding rocket for sub-orbital flights to perform research or technology development in microgravity environment and/or in the upper atmosphere. Furthermore, Miura 1 is also serving as the technological demonstrator of the orbital launcher Miura 5. Miura 5 will provide orbital launch capabilities for small payloads such as CubeSats or microsatellites, that need a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle and therefore can not fly with traditional launch vehicles. It is being designed to deliver a total payload mass up to 300 kg (660 lb) into low Earth orbit.[1][2]
Recovery of the first stage would be by the use of parachutes and splashdown for re-use.
History
PLD Space was founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú in Elche, Spain, and as of 2019 it employs more than 50 people. In August 2017 the company headquarter moved to new facilities in the Elche Industrial Park, where the assembly facilities for Miura 1 are located.[3]
Since 2014, the company is operating an engine test stand located at the Airport in Teruel,[4] where they performed the first test of its liquid fuel engine on July 1, 2015.[5] It was the first time a liquid rocket engine was tested in Spain, and the first time a private company in Europe tested a liquid rocket engine on its own facilities. PLD Space plans to expand their test facilities to include a vertical test stand to qualify the complete Miura 1 suborbital rocket.[6]
In early August 2018, PLD Space and the Teruel Airport Consortium signed the concession of a 13,337 m2 space at the airport for the PLD Space to test launcher technology. The agreement has a period of 25 years, with the option of an additional 10-year extension. PLD Space will invest euro €1M in infrastructure for the construction of a new control room, offices, access paths, a rocket engine maintenance hangar and a new test bench to test the complete Miura 1 rocket.[7]
On November 2018 PLD Reached an agreement with INTA to launch Miura 1 from El Arenosillo.[8] The agreement is not limited to using the INTA facilities for launching but rather establishing a lasting relationship that will allow them to develop scientific, aerospace and technical knowledge.
On July 2019, PLD Space reached an agreement with CNES to study the launch of Miura 5 from CSG, French Guiana.[9] As part of their agreement, INTA is also helping them procure a launch site, being El Hierro Launch Centre the best option from a technical point of view.[10]
Funding
The company has been funded through a series of investment rounds with institutional and private sources and up to now gathered investments worth around $10 million. In 2013 they closed a $1.6 million investment round,[11] including a seed contract with the Spanish Government through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).
PLD Space secured its first commercial contract as one of the partners in the Small Innovative Launcher for Europe (SMILE) program with the European Commission and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in December 2015. The company is responsible for testing liquid propulsion engines for the DLR at its propulsion test facilities in the Airport of Teruel.[12][13] In April 2016, PLD Space secured a further $1.56 million from Spain's TEPREL reusable launcher engine program. TEPREL (Acronym for Spanish Reusable Propulsion Technologies for Launchers) will help PLD Space to continue their liquid rocket engine program,[11][14]\ the first one in Spain dedicated to boost the small satellite industry in Europe. This project will help PLD Space to develop a 35 kN rocket engine qualified for flight.
In October 2016, The European Space Agency (ESA) selected PLD Space as the prime contractor for the "Liquid Propulsion Stage Recovery" project (LPSR) as part of the agency's Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP). The goal of this project is to study a strategy to recover the first stage of a launcher, making it partially reusable, with a prospected funding of $800,000.[15] In a second investment round, closed in January 2017, the company secured $7.1 million, $3.2 million of that contributed by GMV. GMV also took the role to develop the complete avionics of Miura 1 and Miura 5, including guidance, navigation and control (GNC), telemetry and onboard software for both launchers.[16] PLD Space received further $2.34 million in January 2018 through the European Commissions Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Instrument Phase 2, as part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation, a grant to support to the development of a pair of launchers designed for small satellites.[17] In February 2018 PLD Space was one of the five companies chosen by ESA to perform a feasibility study proposing an economically viable, commercially self-sustaining microlauncher. For this, the company received a funding of $368,000.[18][19]
Vehicles
Miura 1
| Function | sub-orbital reusable launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PLD Space |
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Size | |
| Height | 12.7 m (42 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) |
| Mass | 2,550 kg (5,620 lb) |
| Stages | 1 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to suborbital | 100 kg (220 lb) [20] |
| Launch history | |
| Status | in development[20] |
| Launch sites | El Arenosillo |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1 TEPREL-B |
| Thrust | 30 kN (6,700 lbf) |
| Burn time | 122 seconds |
| Fuel | liquid oxygen (1,000 L) / kerosene (600 L)[20] |
Miura 1 (previously called Arion 1)[1][21] was originally proposed as a two-stage rocket capable of achieving suborbital flight. It was originally planned to be 12 m long, with a capacity of 250 kg (551 lb). The engines were to use liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellants.[22]
In its final design, Miura 1 is a 12.7 m long 0.7 m diameter one-stage rocket, propelled by one TEPREL-B engine. The vehicle can fly a payload of up to 200 kg on a suborbital trajectory. The propulsion system is equipped with actuators to tilt the engine for an active thrust vector control.[23] In its first mission it will carry 100 kg of payload to an apogee of 153 km. Additionally, Miura 1 is equipped with a recovery system using its engines and parachutes that enable PLD Space to recover the vehicle from the ocean and re-use the complete launch vehicle.[24] With this, it will be the first recoverable launch vehicle in Europe.[6] Miura 1 is intended to be used for scientific research or technology development in a microgravity environment and/or in the upper atmosphere. Furthermore, about 70% of the technology developed for Miura 1 is planned to be used on the Miura 5 orbital rocket.[25]
Miura 5
| Function | partially reusable launch vehicle to low Earth orbit |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PLD Space |
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Size | |
| Height | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Mass | 32,000 kg (71,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to low Earth orbit | 300–500 kg [1] |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | Shavit, Unha, Prime, Electron, Vector-H |
| Launch history | |
| Status | under development |
| Launch sites | El Hierro (proposed) Guiana Space Centre (planned) |
| First stage | |
| Length | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) |
| Engines | 5 TEPREL-C |
| Thrust | 408 kN (92,000 lbf) |
| Fuel | liquid oxygen / kerosene |
| Second stage | |
| Length | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Engines | 1 |
| Thrust | 65 kN (15,000 lbf) |
| Fuel | liquid oxygen / kerosene |
| Kick stage | |
Miura 5 (previously called Arion 2)[1][21] is a 20.7 m long three-stage launch vehicle, capable of inserting 300 kg of payload into a 400 km low Earth orbit,[1] featuring a kick stage that can circularize the orbits of satellites. All three stages are planned to be liquid-propelled and its technology is inherited from Miura 1. The first stage is reusable by the combined use of its engines and parachutes for retrieval.[24]
Development
In 2015 PLD Space conducted the first static fire test of its TEPREL-DEMO engine.[26] On April 11, 2019 the company carried a successful drop test and recovery of the first stage of the Miura 5 rocket in El Arenosillo. The stage was dropped by a helicopter from a height of 5 km, decelerated using three parachutes, followed by a splashdown, where it was recovered.[27][28]
Launch schedule
Miura 1
The first test flight of Miura 1 is foreseen to take place in 2020[29] from an experimental rocket launch site in Huelva, southwestern Spain, called El Arenosillo,[30] and it will carry a payload from the German Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM).[21] The commercial flight service will begin in 2020.[citation needed] Up to eight suborbital launches are targeted per year.
Miura 5
The first test flight of Miura 5 is planned to take place in late 2022.[21][31]
See also
- Company:Firefly Aerospace – American private aerospace company
- Engineering:List of orbital launch systems – None
- Astronomy:List of private spaceflight companies – None
- Company:Relativity Space – Private American launch vehicle manufacturer, of Terran-1 and future Terran-R
- Company:Rocket Lab – New Zealand and American private spaceflight company
- Engineering:Zero 2 Infinity – Private Spanish company developing high-altitude balloons
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Henry, Caleb (28 November 2018). "PLD Space, after ESA input, doubles lift capacity of smallsat launcher". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/pld-space-after-esa-input-doubles-lift-capacity-of-smallsat-launcher/.
- ↑ Henry, Caleb (30 November 2016). "Spanish propulsion startup wants to build Europe’s first reusable rockets". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/spanish-propulsion-startup-wants-to-build-europes-first-reusable-rockets/. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ Moltó, Daniel (11 Feb 2018). "PLD Space: Talento de Elche a la conquista del mercado aeroespacial". elmundo.es. http://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/alicante/2018/02/11/5a7de3f5e5fdea33778b45ef.html. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ Franco, Leonor (21 Dec 2018). "PLD Space creará un nuevo banco de pruebas en el aeropuerto para cohetes completos". heraldo.es. https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/teruel-provincia/teruel/2017/12/21/pld-space-creara-nuevo-banco-pruebas-aeropuerto-para-cohetes-completos-1215103-303.html. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ Peláez, J (2 Dec 2015). "PLD Space, la empresa española camino de lanzar satélites e incluso alcanzar la Luna". yahoo.com. https://es.noticias.yahoo.com/blogs/astronomia-terricolas/pld-space--la-empresa-espa%C3%B1ola-camino-de-lanzar-sat%C3%A9lites-e-incluso-alcanzar-la-luna-133224289.html?guccounter=1. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Marín, Daniel (16 Feb 2018). "Europa apuesta por PLD Space para alcanzar el espacio". http://danielmarin.naukas.com/2018/02/16/europa-apuesta-por-pld-space-para-alcanzar-el-espacio/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "PLD SPACE signs a 25-year concession for rocket engine testing at Teruel Airport". SpaceDaily. 7 August 2018. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/PLD_SPACE_signs_a_25_year_concession_for_rocket_engine_testing_at_Teruel_Airport_999.html. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ "Acuerdo entre INTA y PLD Space para lanzar el cohete MIURA 1 desde el Centro de Experimentación de "El Arenosillo"". http://www.inta.es/WEB/INTA/es/comunicacion/noticias/Noticia_1542883998840/.
- ↑ Space, P. L. D. (July 1, 2019). "Today @PLD_Space and @CNES, and with the support of @CDTIoficial signed at #EUCASS2019 a preliminary Agreement to study the launch of #MIURA5 microlauncher from CSG, French Guayana. #Microlaunchers #EUCASS #MIURA5pic.twitter.com/ooE61tA2FB". https://twitter.com/PLD_Space/status/1145705155121287169.
- ↑ "Teniente general José María Salom, director general del INTA - Noticias Defensa En abierto". April 14, 2019. https://www.defensa.com/en-abierto/entrevistamos-teniente-general-jose-maria-salom-director-general.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Caleb, Henry (9 Jan 2017). "Spain's GMV takes a stake in PLD Space's reusable rocket quest". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/spains-gmv-takes-a-stake-in-pld-spaces-reusable-rocket-quest/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "PLD Space Receives Funding For Liquid Rocket Engine Propulsion Project". satnews.com. 27 Jul 2016. http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=879991385. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "Start of design for concept SMall Innovative Launcher for Europe (SMILE)". nlr.org. 31 May 2016. http://www.nlr.org/news/start-of-design-for-concept-innovative-launcher-for-europe-smile/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ Messier, Doug (10 April 2016). "PLD Space Receives Funding From Spanish Government". parabolicarc.com. http://www.parabolicarc.com/2016/04/10/pld-space/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "La ESA confía a la española PLD Space su proyecto de cohete reutilizable". europapress.es. 3 March 2016. http://www.europapress.es/ciencia/misiones-espaciales/noticia-encarga-espanola-pld-space-primer-cohete-reutilizable-20161102180440.html. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "La multinacional GMV invierte en PLD Space". pldspace.com. 9 Jan 2017. http://www.pldspace.com/blog/es/2017/01/09/2547/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "PLD Space Awarded €2m Grant from the European Commission for the ARION Micro-Launcher Programme". http://www.spacetechexpo.eu/resources/news-and-editorial/news-container/2018/01/21/rion-micro-launcher-programme/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "ESA explores microlaunchers for small satellites". 8 Feb 2018. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Transportation/ESA_explores_microlaunchers_for_small_satellites. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ Caleb, Henry (8 Feb 2018). "ESA awards five smallsat launcher study contracts". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/esa-awards-five-smallsat-launcher-study-contracts/. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Miura 1. PLD Space. Accessed on 15 December 2018.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 "Since today, MIURA is the new PLD Space rocket's commercial brand" (Press release). PLD Space. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ Marín, Daniel. "La primera prueba de un motor cohete de combustible líquido en España". Naukas. http://danielmarin.naukas.com/2015/07/06/la-primera-prueba-de-un-motor-cohete-de-combustible-liquido-en-espana/. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ↑ https://pldspace.com/images/MIURA_1/MIURA1_Payload_Users_Guide.pdf
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Henry, Caleb (11 June 2018). "PLD Space raises additional $10 million for reusable smallsat launchers"]. SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/pld-space-raises-additional-10-million-for-reusable-smallsat-launchers/. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ López Sánchez, Gonzalo (22 Jan 2018). "Arion, el cohete español capaz de alcanzar la Luna". abc.es. http://www.abc.es/ciencia/abci-arion-cohete-espanol-capaz-alcanzar-luna-201801212154_noticia.html. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "PLD Space Development Engine. Calorimetric Model Hotfire Test". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzrSrcjH7t4.
- ↑ "Successful drop test of the demonstrator of the first stage of MIURA 5". https://pldspace.com/new/2019/04/11/successful-drop-test-of-the-demonstrator-of-the-first-stage-of-miura-5/.
- ↑ Spain’s PLD Space Successfully Completes Miura-5 Reusable Booster Drop Test. Space Watch Europe. April 2019.
- ↑ ""Venimos a complementar el hueco que queda por debajo de Vega/Vega-C"". August 16, 2019. http://latamsatelital.com/venimos-complementar-hueco-queda-debajo-vegavega-c/.
- ↑ "Agreement reached between INTA and PLD Space to launch MIURA 1 from the "El Arenosillo"" (Press release). PLD Space. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ Henry, Caleb (10 January 2018). "Spain's PLD Space receives $2.4 million grant for smallsat launchers". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/spains-pld-space-receives-2-4-million-grant-for-smallsat-launcher/.
External links
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