PLD Space partners with Deimos for MIURA 5 guidance system development

PLD Space partners with Deimos for MIURA 5 guidance system development
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 26, 2024

PLD Space has announced the selection of Deimos to co-lead the development of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) system for its MIURA 5 orbital launcher. Scheduled to commence its launch campaign in late 2025, this collaboration aims to enhance MIURA 5's capability to deliver both dedicated and rideshare small payload missions efficiently and reliably. Deimos joins a growing consortium of high-profile partners contributing to the MIURA rocket family.

The MIURA 5, the flagship two-stage orbital launcher in the MIURA family, is designed for the precision transport of small payloads. The GNC system, a critical subsystem, ensures stability, direction, and accuracy throughout each mission. PLD Space plans for MIURA 5 to execute more than 30 missions annually by 2030, operating from multiple spaceports, including the Guiana Space Centre. This flexibility allows for reduced complexity compared to heavy-lift vehicles, providing tailored launch options to diverse customers.

"Deimos' proven expertise strengthens our capability to deliver precise and reliable missions, offering more flexibility to our customers and ensuring high standards of safety and performance," said Raul Torres, Co-founder and CEO of PLD Space.

"Our collaboration with Deimos on MIURA 5's GNC subsystem is a keystone of PLD Space's commitment to consolidate a national and European high value-added chain for an industry as sophisticated as the space launchers. Deimos is also in line with PLD Space company vision and leadership strategy, so this alliance makes total sense."

The partnership extends to Deimos' contribution to onboard software Verification and Validation (V&V), bolstering the system's reliability.

Simone Centuori, CEO of Deimos, remarked, "We are proud to bring Deimos' advanced GNC expertise to the MIURA 5 missions, where accuracy and robustness are absolutely critical to delivering a successful and cost-effective launcher solution for Europe. Our collaboration with PLD Space demonstrates how innovation and experience can come together to enhance space access for both scientific and commercial missions."

MIURA 5 is engineered for sustainable operations, featuring a reusable first stage recovered from the ocean for subsequent launches. It integrates bio-kerosene (bio RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX) in its TEPREL-C engines to reduce carbon emissions. Sharing over 70% of its technology with the MIURA 1 demonstrator, which marked a historic European first private rocket launch in 2023, MIURA 5 continues PLD Space's legacy of innovation.