Spanish launch startup PLD Space has announced that it has kicked off a launch campaign to perform the maiden flight of its suborbital Miura 1 rocket.
The company’s first attempt to launch the maiden flight of Miura 1 on 31 May was abandoned due to high winds. The second on 17 June was automatically aborted just 0.2 seconds before liftoff. According to PLD Space, a delay of 0.1 seconds in the release of one of the rocket’s umbilicals was the cause of the last-second abort.
PLD Space kicked off its latest Miura 1 launch campaign earlier this week following a pair of pre-launch tests, which included a wet dress rehearsal.
Although the company had been busy with the investigation into the last-second abort, that process was not the sole contributor to the delay between the last launch attempt and this new launch campaign. PLD Space was unable to schedule a launch attempt earlier as the company was required to comply with mandatory fire prevention regulations.
As the company prepares for its third attempt to debut its suborbital launch vehicle, PLD Space has attempted to temper expectations.
“The success rate of a first launch in the industry is about 45%,” paid Ezequiel Sánchez, PLD Space executive president. “We are aware that we have taken on a challenge in the European industry at the highest level, but we face it with the confidence and leadership that comes from our track record and the know-how we have been accumulating.”
The launch of Miura 1 is targeted for 02:00 CET on 7 October from El Arenosillo Experimentation Centre in Huelva, Spain.
