PLD Space has begun system-level testing of its MIURA 5 orbital launcher, moving into a qualification phase ahead of the vehicle’s first demonstration flight. The integrated second stage is installed vertically at the company’s test facilities in Teruel, Spain, where it will undergo propellant-loading and static-fire tests. The first MIURA 5 flight is planned for the first half of 2027.
The campaign brings together the stage’s structure, avionics, propellant-feed, control and propulsion systems in a representative operating configuration. A Wet Dress Rehearsal will precede the static hot-fire test, allowing PLD Space to assess interactions between subsystems and reduce technical uncertainty before flight.
PLD Space has completed three MIURA 5 vehicles: two qualification units and the first flight vehicle, which remains in integration. Results from the qualification hardware can be transferred to the flight vehicle. The company has also completed stage-separation tests in Teruel, checking interfaces, commands and timing for controlled separation during flight.
Flight-configuration TEPREL-C and TEPREL-C Vac engines have begun their own test campaigns. PLD Space is expanding manufacturing, testing and launch capabilities while developing the programme’s industrial base, which includes 493 suppliers and more than 7,500 subcontracted components. The company has also completed 13 propellant tanks and flight-avionics sets for four rockets.