Miura 1 is PLD Space's single-stage, reusable suborbital sounding rocket that became the first privately developed European rocket to reach space on 7 October 2023.
Miura 1
Miura 1 is PLD Space's single-stage, reusable suborbital sounding rocket that became the first privately developed European rocket to reach space on 7 October 2023.
Description
Miura 1 is a single-stage suborbital rocket developed by the Spanish company PLD Space (Payload Aerospace S.A.) as a technology demonstrator and flight-test vehicle paving the way for the orbital Miura 5 launcher. Standing 12.5 metres tall with a 0.7 metre diameter, it uses a monohull Aluminium 2014-series structure and lifts off at a mass of 2,620 kg. It is powered by a single pressure-fed TEPREL-B engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen, producing 30.0 kN of thrust at liftoff. On 7 October 2023, Miura 1 (mission SN1) launched from the 'El Arenosillo' Experimentation Center (CEDEA/INTA) in Huelva, southwest Spain, becoming the first privately developed European rocket to reach space, and making Spain the tenth country in the world with direct space access capability. The flight lasted 306 seconds, reached an apogee of 46 km, and concluded with a splashdown landing in the Atlantic Ocean; PLD Space reported 100% of main mission objectives achieved. The mission also carried a microgravity technology demonstration payload for the German Centre for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM). Data gathered validated nearly 70% of the design and technology used in Miura 5.
Specifications
| Length | 12.5 m |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.7 m |
| Stages | 1 |
| Structure material | Aluminium 2014 Series, monohull |
| Mass at liftoff | 2,620 kg |
| Engine | 1x TEPREL-B, pressure-fed |
| Thrust at liftoff | 30.0 kN |
| Propellants | Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen |
| Flight heritage | 1 flight (SN1, 7 October 2023) - first private European rocket to reach space; flight duration 306 s; apogee 46 km; 100% of main objectives achieved; landed in the Atlantic Ocean |
