PLD Space and the French space agency CNES have signed an agreement to support the next phase of European launch capability at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The deal centres on the ELM-Diamant area and includes a joint study of the feasibility of a second launch pad to support future Miura 5 and Miura 9 operations.
The Spanish launch company, based in Elche, and CNES are framing the cooperation around a more competitive, multi-user launch site for Europe’s emerging commercial launcher market. The work is linked to PLD Space’s broader roadmap and to its commitments under the European Launcher Challenge with the European Space Agency.
The new step does not yet confirm construction or a final infrastructure commitment. It instead opens a feasibility phase for additional launch capacity at a site that is already central to PLD Space’s plans in Kourou. If advanced, the extra platform could increase operational headroom and support a higher launch cadence from the Guiana Space Centre.