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PLD Space wins BOOST! contract to support flexible payload accommodation

19 February 2024.

 The Spanish company PLD Space has signed a Boost! contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a payload accommodation system on MIURA 5 that will provide greater flexibility to its customers. The project, in collaboration with OCCAM Space, is worth 1.3 million euros.

The project is part of ESA's Boost! program, aimed at boosting commercial space transportation initiatives, and fits with PLD Space's value proposition of offering its customers a customized service capable of adapting to their needs through its orbital launcher MIURA 5.

“PLD Space has proven time and again that it is the European launch leader. The winning of the Boost! contract, an achievement shared with our partners Occam Space, is a further testament to this fact, and another vote of confidence from ESA. We are excited to develop a modular, highly flexible, low-cost solution to meet our customers’ accommodation needs aboard MIURA 5,” comments PLD Space CBDO & Co-founder Raúl Verdú.

“PLD Space has proven itself with its first launch last year, and we look forward to seeing the experience applied to the MIURA 5 launch services development,” says ESA's Jorgen Bru, “The payload adapter development engaged today was chosen to increase market competitiveness and ensure as many different types of satellites and customers can fly.”

The contract signed between ESA and PLD Space cofinances the development of a modular and customizable payload accommodation system. Designed to release all types of satellites with as much flexibility as possible, the payload system – called MOSPA for Modular Solution for Payload Adapter – will allow PLD Space to offer its customers a wider range of missions and services, including accommodation of CubeSats, nanosatellites and microsatellites.

The development of the modular payload adapter will be done in partnership with OCCAM Space. The goal is to create the hardware to be as light as possible while also being as adaptable as possible to launch more satellites and meet market demands.

“OCCAM Space team has a large expertise in structures and mechanisms in the space sector. We are very happy that our MOSPA philosophy and design has been selected to complement the MIURA 5 upper stage. We are looking forward to work hand in hand with ESA and PLD Space to bring more competitiveness to the European small launchers market,” says OCCAM Space CEO Manuel Serrano.

PLD Space continues to make progress on the development of its orbital launcher, MIURA 5, which is scheduled to make its first flight in 2025 from CSG, the European spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.