PLD Space,
selected by ESA and the European Commission for the
Flight Ticket Initiative launch contracts
23rd January 2024
PLD Space has been selected by
the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European
Commission (EC) as one of the five companies that
will launch institutional missions into space in the
framework of the Flight Ticket Initiative. This
program aims to create a pool of private launch
providers to meet the space access needs of European
institutions.
PLD Space is
the only Spanish company chosen to access these
contracts, together with Arianespace (France), Isar
Aerospace (Germany), Orbex Space (United Kingdom)
and Rocket Factory Augsburg (Germany). "This
milestone positions PLD Space as the only Spanish
company in the global commercial launch industry,"
states PLD Space Co-founder and CBDO Raúl Verdú.
The
announcement was made official this Tuesday, January
23rd during the European Space Conference, taking
place in Brussels. The selection of PLD Space as
part of the Flight Ticket Initiative allows the
Spanish company to access a future ESA or EC launch
contract and means the recognition by the European
institutions that with MIURA 5 the company will
offer a launch service suitable for the market from
the end of 2025.
"We are
delighted that, for the first time, private
companies such as PLD Space, Isar, Orbex or RFA,
have access to institutional launch contracts both
by ESA and the European Commission. This is a very
important step for the launch industry, although
there is still a long way to go," says Verdú.
The missions
included in the Flight Ticket Initiative are those
in the In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation
(IOD/IOV) category, for the demonstration and
validation of new technologies in space. The five
operators that have just been selected by ESA and
the EC will compete for the specific launch contract
for each of these missions.
"This kind
of initiative should be given to goal-oriented and
higher-efficiency companies," highlights PLD Space
Executive President Ezequiel Sánchez. "Up
until now, supply has been favored over demand
orientation; it is always important to move in the
direction of the market needs."
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