PLD Space has announced that it will invest €35 million in the development of its launch facility at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, more than triple the amount the company initially planned.
In June 2024, PLD Space announced that it planned to “make a very efficient 10 million euros investment for the construction of the main launch site for MIURA 5.” At the time, the company stated that it aimed to begin the first launch campaign from the facility by the end of 2025. It also stated that the project would create more than ten direct jobs and 50 indirect jobs.
Less than six months later, in December 2024, the company secured an €11 million loan for the development of the site, stating that it would “initially invest a total of €16 million in the development, construction, and operation of this launch base.” This announcement did, however, maintain the projection that it would create over 10 direct jobs and 50 indirect jobs for the local economy.
In June 2025, the company signed a Development Contract with CNES, the operator of the Guiana Space Centre, allowing it to begin construction of its dedicated launch infrastructure at the shared launch complex. In September 2025, when CNES held a groundbreaking ceremony for the wider multi-user facility, PLD Space said construction of its dedicated facilities had already begun.
With its 1 June announcement, PLD Space has pushed its total investment in the facility for the period from 2025, when construction began, to 2026, when it is expected to be completed, to €35 million. The projected impact on the local economy has also risen substantially. It is now expected to create 250 to 275 indirect or induced jobs during the initial construction phase and 35 direct jobs for ongoing launch operations.
The announcement of the increased budget for the Guiana Space Centre construction project comes after the company closed a €180 million Series C funding round in March 2026 and secured an additional €30 million in financing from the European Investment Bank in April 2026. However, PLD Space did not explain whether the additional funding enabled a more ambitious launch facility or whether the project’s price tag would have risen so significantly regardless.
According to PLD Space, civil works at the site, including site clearing, earthworks, foundations, and concrete structures, are expected to be completed in summer 2026. In parallel, construction of the launch infrastructure, including the launch tower, is being completed in Spain, with elements beginning to be shipped to the site. The facility is expected to be ready for the inaugural flight of the MIURA 5 rocket, which is expected to be launched before the end of the year.
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