Spain Launched Europe’s First Private Rocket

The Spanish company PLD Space launched the Miura-1 reusable rocket on Saturday. This is Europe’s first completely private rocket launch, which could be a breakthrough for the region’s space industry, writes The Guardian.

The test launch of the rocket, named after a breed of fighting bulls, took place after two previous unsuccessful attempts. This time, Miura-1, as tall as a three-story building and with a payload of 100 kilograms, successfully left the launch pad.

It was assumed that the flight of Miura-1 would last about 12 minutes, during which it would be able to rise to a height of 80 km from the surface of the Earth, where the boundary of space lies in accordance with the classification of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and the American military. Note that this classification is not generally accepted, since in some countries the Karman line, located at an altitude of 100 km above sea level, is considered the lower boundary of space.

According to available data, during the first flight, Miura-1 failed to achieve its goal, rising to an altitude of about 46 km. Despite this, PLD Space noted that during the test flight the rocket performed well, so the tests were considered successful.

The rocket’s test launch was the first of two planned suborbital flights. But in Spain there is greater anticipation for the launch of the larger Miura-5, scheduled for 2025.