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ESA awards €158.9M contract to PLD Space for European launch capabilities
The European Space Agency (ESA) has initiated its European Launcher Challenge (ELC) program, signing major contracts to bolster Europe’s autonomous access to space. A central part of this initiative is a €158.9 million contract awarded to the Spanish company PLD Space. This funding, primarily supported by Spain with contributions from Germany, is split into two components: consolidating the commercial orbital launch service of the Miura 5 rocket through 2030, and enhancing its orbital capacity to support heavier payloads and more distant orbits.
PLD Space intends to use these advancements to develop propulsive landing capabilities, a critical step toward achieving rocket reusability. These technological upgrades are also designed to be transferable to the company’s future family of heavy launchers, known as Miura Next.
Simultaneously, the Ariane 6 rocket is reaching new operational milestones. Following eight consecutive successful orbital insertions, the launcher is scheduled for its ninth mission on August 27, 2026. This mission, VA270, will be the first time Ariane 6 targets a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) to deploy the MTG-I2 meteorological satellite. While Ariane 6 demonstrates increasing reliability, ESA has decided not to proceed with the development of the Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution due to cost concerns.
Entities
Ariane 6 · ESA · European Space Agency · Ezequiel Sánchez · ICARUS · MIURA 5 · MTG-I2 · PLD Space
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 15 SOURCES] PLD Space aims to develop propulsive landing capabilities for rocket reusability. diariodealicante.net · www.todoalicante.es · alicanteplaza.es · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +10 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The contract awarded to PLD Space is valued at 158.9 million euros. diariodealicante.net · www.todoalicante.es · alicanteplaza.es · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +10 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The MTG-I2 mission marks the first time Ariane 6 will target geostationary transfer orbit. www.numerama.com · www.sudouest.fr · www.space.com · techxeber.az
- [● 15 SOURCES] The contract includes components to consolidate the Miura 5 commercial service and enhance its orbital capacity. diariodealicante.net · www.todoalicante.es · alicanteplaza.es · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +10 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ariane 6 has achieved eight consecutive successful orbital insertions. es.gizmodo.com · techxeber.az
- [● 2 SOURCES] ESA has decided not to proceed with the development of the Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution. es.gizmodo.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Ariane 6 is scheduled to launch the MTG-I2 weather satellite on August 27, 2026. www.numerama.com · www.sudouest.fr · www.space.com · techxeber.az · es.gizmodo.com
- [● 15 SOURCES] The European Space Agency selected PLD Space for the European Launcher Challenge program. diariodealicante.net · www.todoalicante.es · alicanteplaza.es · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +10 more