Rockets from Spain — PLD Space blasts off - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

What does Europe have to offer the space industry? Groundbreaking innovations in Asia and the US—like SpaceX’s reusable rockets—set the bar high. Now, a young Spanish startup is reaching for the stars, offering an exciting alternative!

Transcript

00:00Lots of smoke, tension and cheers, all thanks to two college friends.

00:08A year ago, their Spanish start-up, PLD Space, caused quite a stir.

00:13The successful test flight of their small rocket set a new benchmark

00:17for Europe's growing private space sector.

00:20It was an incredible experience.

00:23We showed the world we could do things that seemed theoretically impossible.

00:28The heart of private space exploration beats in Elche, near Alicante,

00:34better known for its palm trees than its rockets.

00:37The firm's founders met in college.

00:42We were space geeks, and when we saw companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin

00:47emerging in the U.S., we were in college building model rockets.

00:51Going from models to a real rocket was a long and rocky road.

00:57The founders raised their first funds from friends, neighbors

01:00and even local retailers in Elche.

01:03Both private and state investors initially turned them down.

01:07They said it wasn't possible, that we lacked experience,

01:11it was too costly, too difficult.

01:14Others had tried and failed, but we chose to take the risk and keep going.

01:19Their persistence eventually impressed larger investors.

01:23The founders poured significant funds into developing their own engine,

01:28but four years ago it exploded during testing.

01:33It really damaged our trust and credibility with shareholders and the team.

01:38We faced a bitter winter and had to cut staff,

01:42which is the worst thing that can happen to an entrepreneur.

01:48The team didn't give up, improving the engine until the next test was flawless.

01:59Their relief was palpable.

02:05In 2023 they prepared for the Miura 1 launch.

02:09It kept being delayed till October when things came together.

02:13With its micro-launcher that can carry 100 kilograms,

02:16PLD Space's high-flying plans took off at last.

02:22Not just launching, but following the precisely programmed path

02:25proved to the world we can achieve anything.

02:30With newfound confidence, they paused the Miura 1 program to think bigger.

02:34Now the focus is on the Miura 5,

02:37a rocket with a cargo capacity of up to 600 kilos.

02:41Set to launch in a year, over 250 people are working on it.

02:45PLD Space's co-founder says they're the European leader.

02:50We offer the most reliable service in the industry today.

02:53In other words, we're the most reliable company in the industry.

02:57That first successful launch was no accident.

03:00We chose the most advanced and dependable technologies available.

03:05But the bigger question remains.

03:07Are private space companies just expensive experiments,

03:10or do they serve a real purpose?

03:14I think it's only leading to some significant changes,

03:17whereby government agencies are no longer relying 100% on their legacy vendors,

03:23namely Ariane or Vega, Avio,

03:26but are opening their tenders to newcomers to test and learn,

03:30and sometimes fail with them, to support them

03:32and bring a much more diversified supply base in launch.

03:36It's about independence.

03:37The European Space Agency is now working with PLD Space,

03:41while the Spanish government has allocated over 40 million euros

03:45from EU recovery funds for the Miura 5 project.

03:50While institutional support played a fairly small role,

03:54it was the necessary lever to secure private investor backing.

04:01And their ambitions don't stop there.

04:03PLD Space plans to send even heavier payloads into orbit in the coming years.

04:09By 2028, their rockets will no longer land in water,

04:13but vertically on solid ground, just like SpaceX,

04:17making their business model more profitable.

04:21They even want to send astronauts into space.

04:26The Lince project is designed to carry up to five crew members.

04:30A crazy idea?

04:34Our plans may sound crazy, but they're actually low risk,

04:37because we're progressing step by step.

04:41From Miura 1 to Miura Next and beyond,

04:44the final chapter will be a crude launch.

04:48But we're talking about a 10 to 15 year timeline, not tomorrow.

04:53This isn't just an internal vision, it's also a response to market demand.

05:01To turn these dreams into reality,

05:04PLD Space has to deliver.

05:06First up, the Miura 5, expected to lift off by late 2025.

05:11If the launch fails, they have the funds for a second attempt.

05:15If they succeed, they say orders worth 600 million euros are already waiting.

Rockets from Spain — PLD Space blasts off

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