The President of the Government visits the facilities of PLD Space in Elche and presents the advances of the orbital launcher Miura 5 and the new Miura 9. Spain has allocated more than 170 million euros to the company and has doubled its contribution to the European Space Agency since 2018.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has visited the facilities of PLD Space in Elche (Alicante), accompanied by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, where the company has presented the advances of the orbital launcher Miura 5 and the new Miura 9. According to La Moncloa, Sánchez highlighted that the Spanish space sector is "experiencing a record moment" and that the Miura 9 opens a "new and exciting phase that will place Elche, Alicante, and Spain at the forefront of the space industry."
The head of the Executive emphasized that Alicante has been "a window of Spain to the world for decades" and that with this project "it is looking into space." He also stressed that the country "is demonstrating that it can also be among those developing the technologies that are defining our present and our future." In this regard, he linked the progress to public-private collaboration and estimated a 60% increase in R&D investment over eight years.
"That is the Spain we are building together with the private sector and the one we want to complete by the end of this decade of transformation"
Sánchez defended public investment in science against those who consider it a waste: "The real waste would be to give up that present and that future," he said, because "investing today in science and technology means having better jobs tomorrow, more competitive companies, greater autonomy, and a less dependent country."
The president framed the project within the strategy of European strategic autonomy. Spain has more than doubled its contribution to the European Space Agency since 2018 and has allocated more than 170 million euros to PLD Space through investment, R&D grants, and pre-commercial public procurement. The Aerospace PERTE has helped strengthen the sector's capabilities, Sánchez detailed.
"Today, the Spanish space sector is experiencing a record and very optimistic moment, and PLD Space is one of the best examples. It has gone from being a 'startup' to having more than 500 professionals"
The company, which employs over 500 professionals, drives a national value chain involving 500 Spanish companies, with 95% SMEs. Sánchez mentioned the talent trained at the Higher Polytechnic School of the University of Alicante, which offers a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
In 2023, the Miura 1 made PLD Space the first European private company with flight experience. The Miura 5 will begin its journey "from where it will be launched in the coming months," Sánchez announced.
Minister Diana Morant described the project as "a business, scientific, innovative, and technological success and, above all, a success for the whole country," positioning it as "one of the greatest technological successes in our country's history." Morant recalled the 40 million euros allocated by the Government through a pre-commercial public procurement call to develop and manufacture the Miura 5 microsatellite launcher.
"The aspiration of PLD Space and this Government has always been for shareholders to enter, but for sovereignty and control to remain Spanish"
The minister added that these capabilities will allow us to "anticipate floods, detect, monitor, and fight against a fire, face droughts, in short, to protect ourselves."
The event took place at the PLD Space facilities in Elche, where the company showcased the technical advances of its two launchers. The Miura 5 is scheduled to take off in the coming months, while the Miura 9 is in the development phase.
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