Following the successful launch of MIURA 1, Europe's first private rocket, PLD Space is presenting MIURA 5 roadmap in three key European capitals: London (UK), Bern (Switzerland) and Luxembourg. The company's management has been supported by other relevant figures in the sector to talk about the opportunities and challenges of the industry and, especially, the role played by Spain.
First stop: London
This Tuesday, the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in the UK organised an event titled 'Investment Opportunities in the European NewSpace Sector'. The aim of the event was to showcase the potential for investment in this industry to a carefully selected group of venture capital companies and funds.
The session commenced with an introduction by Álvaro Nadal, Head of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in the UK. “Our pleasure to have here and from Spain the most promising and reliable player in space launcher industry”, introduced Nadal, who emphasized PLD Space's leading position in the global space race, while building national and European strategic capabilities.
Following Nadal's presentation, Raúl Verdú, Co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) of PLD Space, shared valuable insights with the audience. He highlighted the recent success achieved by PLD Space with the launch of MIURA 1, which took place on October 7th. This significant milestone established PLD Space as the first company in Europe to successfully launch a private rocket.
In this regard, the successful launch of MIURA 1 validated the technologies that will be later transferred and integrated in the development of MIURA 5, the orbital rocket set to be launched in 2025.
Raúl Verdú, highlighted that “the development and manufacturing MIURA 5 means taking the lead in a unique industry in Europe. Our objective is not only to build a rocket but to establish a highly specialized supply chain that positions Spain at the epicenter of the European space sector. To achieve this, private-public collaboration is very important”.
Roundtable in Switzerland
One day later, on Wednesday, the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Switzerland organized an event titled ‘The European aerospace sector: Strengths and investment opportunities from a Spanish perspective’. The session commenced with an introduction by Celsa Nuño, Ambassador to Switzerland & Liechtenstein. Afterwards, Raúl Verdú, Co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer of PLD Space, shared valuable insights with the audience at a roundtable moderated by Nanja Strecker, ESA Business Incubation Centre, and with the participation of Pedro Duque, astronaut & Former Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation; Miguel Belló, Director of the Spanish Space Agency; and Plácido Márquez, CEO Destinus Spain.
In a context where there is a lack of space access capacity in Europe, Raúl Verdú explained that PLD Space has built a unique value proposition and innovation around its MIURA 5 orbital launcher. "We offer space transportation to small satellite operators through a service based on dedication, flexibility, reliability and sustainability”.
This customized service is being very well received by small satellite operators. In fact, PLD Space has commercial interests worth 320 million euros, a figure that validates its proposal and business model.
Final ‘station’: Luxembourg
Final stop was on December 5, when the Executive President of PLD Space Ezequiel Sánchez participated in an event organized by the Embassy of Spain in Luxembourg. The act was opened with a welcome speech by José María Rodríguez Coso, Spanish Ambassador in Luxembourg. Afterwards, Sánchez participed in a panel with Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General for Innovation at Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain; and it was moderated by María Ortiz, the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg.
