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Cristian Caraballo

ESA signs first major European Launcher Challenge contract with Spain's PLD Space

ESA Europe European Space Agency Miura

The European Space Agency (ESA) has begun signing the first contracts for its European Launcher Challenge (ELC), the programme with which Europe is trying to end its reliance on foreign launchers to place satellites in orbit. Among the companies selected is PLD Space, the Elche-based firm that in 2023 launched its MIURA 1 demonstrator rocket on a suborbital flight.

The contract, worth 158.9 million euros and funded mainly by Spain with a German contribution, positions the company as one of the central pieces of the future European launcher ecosystem.

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