PLD Space announced on October 19, 2026, that it had manufactured three initial Miura 5 vehicles: two qualification vehicles and one flight vehicle that was still being integrated at the time. The company planned the first demonstration flight for the first half of 2027. PLD Space’s announcement also described the tests and mission-planning work ahead.
Three vehicles, with different roles
The two qualification vehicles are intended for system-level testing. The third is the first flight vehicle. Its integration was still underway when PLD Space made the announcement, so the three-vehicle total describes a mix of test hardware and flight hardware at different stages of preparation.
The second stage enters testing at Teruel
PLD Space said the fully integrated second stage was entering a qualification campaign in Teruel. The planned sequence includes a Wet Dress Rehearsal, a rehearsal of propellant loading, followed by a static-fire test.
The company also reported completed stage-separation tests and test campaigns for two fairing qualification models. Findings from the fairing tests were incorporated into the flight model.
Mission planning advances ahead of the first flight
PLD Space said it had consolidated the reference trajectory for the first flight and was refining mission parameters and predictions of the launcher’s behavior across flight phases. This is mission-analysis work for the planned flight, alongside the vehicle and subsystem qualification campaigns.
The first demonstration flight is planned for 2027
PLD Space’s announced target was the first half of 2027; the company did not give a specific launch date in its announcement. It also reported preparations at Kourou in French Guiana, including the arrival of about 60 containers of ground infrastructure and equipment and coordination with France’s space agency, CNES, on operational safety procedures.
The Miura 5 milestone is separate from PLD Space’s planned Miura 9 launcher, covered in our earlier report on Miura 9.
