talksatellite EMEA Daily news   PLD Space and D-Orbit Sign Launch Agreement for Equatorial Missions April 03, 2025 PLD Space, an international space services company with vertical integrated engineering and manufacturing, has signed an agreement with D-Orbit, a global leader in space logistics and orbital transportation, to deploy satellites aboard MIURA 5 to equatorial orbit. With this, PLD Space has now fulfilled more than 80% of the slots in its manifest until 2027. With investment in space accelerating at an unprecedented rate -particularly in Southeast Asia and other geographies situated near the equator- PLD Space and D-Orbit are well positioned to capitalize on this growth. MIURA 5, launching from its strategic site at the CSG (Kourou, French Guiana), provides one of the few dedicated low-inclination launch opportunities available, offering customers direct access to equatorial orbits. This differentiates PLD Space from other major providers, whose standard offerings for many seeking access to space do not include this service. Currently, the niche is primarily served by one or two launch vehicles offering very low cadences, underscoring the importance of PLD Space’s entry into this underserved market. Through this agreement, D-Orbit will fly payloads aboard MIURA 5, including its flagship ION Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV). D-Orbit provides logistics services to the space sector, including in-orbit satellite transportation with individual deployment into specific orbital slots, as well as in-space testing of hosted payloads. The company also offers satellite operators in-orbit storage and advanced computing capabilities. As the market leader in in-space logistics, D-Orbit has successfully deployed satellites into precise orbits through 17 ION missions to date. The contract with PLD Space ensures continued access to flexible and efficient launch solutions tailored to the evolving needs of satellite operators worldwide. “From our launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana, and Duqm, Oman, we offer one of the widest ranges of orbital inclinators providing our customers with a significant competitive advantage,” said Raúl Verdú, CBDO and Co-founder at PLD Space. “The agreement with D-Orbit strengthens our position as a leader, especially in markets that require reliable equatorial access, a capability that remains extremely limited in today’s industry.” “Working with PLD Space will allow us to expand our launch offering to equatorial missions, an option that is becoming increasingly interesting for our customers, enabling us to better meet their evolving needs while building a promising collaboration with PLD Space,” commented Matteo Lorenzoni, VP Commercial Strategy of D-Orbit. PLD Space is currently ramping-up the serial production for MIURA 5 units using the flight proven technology coming from MIURA 1, with the aim of starting its test flight campaign by the end of 2025. Commercial flights of MIURA 5 will begin in 2026 with the objective of scaling up to 30 launches per year by 2030. Fill out your e-mail address to receive our newsletter! E-mail address:

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