It couldn’t be the second time either. When everything seemed to be in order and the engines were on and ready, a technical problem less than half a second from the end of the countdown forced the launch of the Miura 1 to be aborted. “We had an automatic abort due to the NON-release of the avionics umbilicals, the rest were free and the engine at nominal thrust,” explained Raúl Torres, co-founder of PLD Space, the Alicante company that built the first reusable Spanish rocket. The good news is that the device has not suffered damage and will be ready for a new takeoff attempt when what happened is analyzed and atmospheric conditions are favorable. This could be even after the summer. Spain will have to wait for a new attempt to enter the relaunched space race, since it would be the tenth country with the capacity to send small satellites into space.
Although the engine reached its rated thrust, the launch of MIURA 1 was aborted.
An umbilical would not have separated from the launcher.Let us wish good luck to our Spanish neighbors at PLD Space. https://t.co/yYVStBkkEd
— GoForLaunch 🚀🌔 (@AuDelaDeLOrbite) June 17, 2023
We have had an automatic Abort due to the NON-release of the avionics umbilicals, the rest were free and the engine was at nominal thrust. 0.25 seconds margin. #MIURA1 it’s healthy. We analyze the data to have more information. @PLD_Space
— Raúl Torres🇪🇸 (@RaulTorresPLD) June 17, 2023
The incident occurred at 2:43 in the morning. Until that moment everything had gone according to plan. PLD Space had announced on Friday afternoon that a launch window was opening between two in the morning and ten in the morning on Saturday, June 17. A process began that began with the closure of the access to the Médano del Loro military shooting range, in Huelva, where the launch ramp is located. At around eleven at night, fuel loading checks were carried out. An hour later it was announced that the recovery ship, the ‘Libertad 6’, and its support, the ‘Nervio’, were in position. There was no news about the weather, which in these maneuvers is always positive. The countdown continued. Until around three in the morning the engines were turned on and the failure that forced the process to stop was detected.
Bad weather prevented the first attempt
The first launch attempt took place on May 31. On that occasion, it was the bad weather conditions that ruined the takeoff maneuver. Speeds greater than 20 meters per second and gusts of up to 30 were detected between kilometers 8 and 12. “Prudence tells us not to advance,” said Raúl Torres. A little more than a week later, on June 9, everything was ready for a new attempt, as reported by the company on social networks. “Our launch operations team, launch pad, ground infrastructure and equipment ready for the next opportunity,” they noted. It would not be possible that same weekend due to storm Oscar. A maneuver of this type requires almost perfect weather conditions. The surface wind speed cannot exceed 20km/h, the atmosphere must also be calm at altitude and there must be no approaching storm.
The Miura 1, named in honor of the renowned Spanish bull breed, has a height of 12.5 meters and is designed to lift payloads of 250 kilos to more than 150 kilometers in height. In this first flight, which should last about twelve minutes, it is planned to carry 100 kilos of material from the German Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity and to reach a maximum height of 153 kilometers. Soon it will also incorporate a new satellite antenna from the Navarrese company Anteral and engineers from the ESA High Power Radiofrequency Laboratory in Valencia. Its function is to keep the launcher connected to the ground during flight.
Once that height is reached, it will begin its return, a maneuver it performs at 2,700 kilometers per hour. To stop its descent, it has a parachute that cushions its impact on the ocean, where the aforementioned ‘Libertad 6’ and ‘Nervio’ will be waiting for it. And the Miura is designed to be 60% reusable, a key aspect to save costs in an industry like aerospace, supported until a few years ago with the financial muscle of powers such as the United States, Russia and China and now driven by millionaires like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.
Future plans
This rocket, small if compared to the 120 meters of the gigantic Starship of the owner of Twitter and founder of Tesla, is a test platform for the company’s true objective, the Miura 5, an orbital vehicle three times higher – reaching the 34.4 meters – and with the capacity to transport 540 kilos of cargo. It is expected to take off in 2024 from Kourou, French Guiana. PLD Space, which has more than a hundred employees and is looking to hire another 40, has facilities in Elche, Teruel and Huelva. After achieving more than 60 million euros of investment, they hope to achieve a turnover of up to 150 million euros annually.
Rocket test benches
Launch pad
Capable of loading 100 kg in up to four compartments.
Designed to host experiments in microgravity for 3-4 minutes. The entire flight lasts 12 minutes.
25 kg per compartment
28V power
0.8 Mb/s data flow
16GB storage
Telemetry systems
Load distribution management
mass at takeoff
Composite Coated Helium Pressure Vessel
Cryogenic liquid oxygen tank (1,100 -182ºC)
Kerosene tank (600 l)
TEPREL-B engine developed by PLD Space
Tested for 122 seconds (time required for flight)
Less than 5G acceleration during climb
One of more than 100 engine tests
The system is designed to be rescued after landing, which will allow the devices sent to space and the launch rocket itself to be recovered, which is reused.
Rocket test benches
Launch pad
Capable of carrying 100 kg in up to four independent compartments
Designed to host experiments in microgravity for 3-4 minutes. The entire flight lasts 12 minutes.
25 kg per compartment
28V power
0.8 Mb/s data flow
16GB storage
Telemetry systems
Load distribution management
mass at takeoff
Composite Coated Helium Pressure Vessel
Cryogenic liquid oxygen tank (1,100 -182ºC)
Kerosene tank (600 l)
TEPREL-B engine developed by PLD Space
Tested for 122 seconds (time required for flight)
Less than 5G acceleration during climb
One of more than 100 engine tests
The system is designed to be rescued after landing, which will allow the devices sent to space and the launch rocket itself to be recovered, which is reused.
Rocket test benches
Launch pad
Capable of loading 100 kg in up to four compartments.
Independent compartments
Designed to host experiments in microgravity for 3-4 minutes. The entire flight lasts 12 minutes.
25 kg per compartment
28V power
0.8 Mb/s data flow
16GB storage
Telemetry systems
Load distribution management
mass at takeoff
fuel tanks
Composite Coated Helium Pressure Vessel
Cryogenic liquid oxygen tank (1,100 -182ºC)
Kerosene tank (600 l)
TEPREL-B engine developed by PLD Space
Tested for 122 seconds (time required for flight)
Less than 5G acceleration during climb
One of more than 100 engine tests
The system is designed to be rescued after landing, which will allow the devices sent to space and the launch rocket itself to be recovered, which is reused.
Rocket test benches
Launch pad
Capable of transporting 100 kg in up to four compartments.
Independent compartments
Designed to host experiments in microgravity for 3-4 minutes. The entire flight lasts 12 minutes.
25 kg per compartment
28V power
0.8 Mb/s data flow
16GB storage
Load distribution management
mass at takeoff
fuel tanks
Composite Coated Helium Pressure Vessel
Cryogenic liquid oxygen tank (1,100 -182ºC)
Kerosene tank (600 l)
The system is designed to be rescued after landing, which will allow the devices sent to space and the launch rocket itself to be recovered, which is reused.
TEPREL-B engine developed by PLD Space
(Spanish Reusable Space Propulsion Technology for Launchers)
Tested for 122 seconds (time required for flight)
Less than 5G acceleration during climb
One of more than 100 engine tests