PLD Space Unveils Lince Crew Capsule and Miura Next, Mirua Heavy, and Miura Super Heavy Plans

Spanish startup PLD Space has laid out its bold long-term vision to revolutionize space transportation with larger reusable rockets and a crewed spacecraft durings its Beyond event. Beyond Event was a celebration of the company’s past successes and a bold pitch for its future. One year after its Miura 1 suborbital rocket flight, the company is positioning itself as a leader in space transportation with the introduction of larger, reusable rockets like Miura Next and Europe’s first private crewed spacecraft, Lince.

"We will be able to launch any type of payload that serves the market, providing space transportation solutions to meet all demands," - Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space.

The event took place at their Elche headquarters, showcasing both their progress and future goals. PLD Space believes its plan can provide the infrastructure Europe needs to stay competitive in space exploration and commerce.

Miura 5

PLD Space is currently working on its small orbital rocket, the Miura 5, designed to carry 500 kilograms into a sun-synchronous orbit (a highly desirable orbit for Earth observation satellites).

The company plans to have Miura 5 ready for launch by the end of 2025, aiming for an early 2026 launch from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. This launch will represent PLD Space’s first foray into launching payloads to space for customers.

Miura 5 rockets will be expendable at first; however, PLD Space has bigger plans to make Miura 5 reusable. Initially, the company intended to use parachutes to recover the first stage (the largest and most expensive part of the rocket), but they have since decided to follow in SpaceX's footsteps by opting for propulsive landings, where rockets are guided back to Earth and land using their own engines.

"We reached the conclusion that the only way to make a stage reusable is bringing it back in the same fashion that SpaceX or Blue Origin is doing." - Raúl Torres, PLD Space CEO

This shift is part of PLD’s strategy to make space access more affordable. PLD Space aims to fly its first reused Miura 5 rocket around 2028, boosting the profitability of these missions.

Miura Next

While Miura 5 is a small rocket, PLD Space’s ambitions extend to larger payloads. The company has unveiled their plans for a family of bigger rockets called Miura Next.

The rocket will be capable of delivering 13,580 kilograms to low Earth orbit (similar to the orbit of the International Space Station) or 4,600 kilograms to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), a higher orbit typically used for communications satellites.

For comparison, this is a big jump in capability, moving from launching relatively small satellites with Miura 5 to launching larger commercial or even governmental payloads with Miura Next.

Miura Heavy and Miura Super Heavy

PLD Space has also planned even more powerful versions of Miura Next.

Miura Next Heavy: This version uses two additional boosters, similar to how SpaceX uses side boosters on its Falcon Heavy rocket. It could carry up to 36,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit or 7,160 kilograms to GTO if the boosters are recovered.

Miura Next Super Heavy: This model, even more powerful, uses four side boosters arranged like the Russian Angara A5 rocket. It could deliver a staggering 53,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit in its most powerful, expendable form. If needed, it could also send 13,660 kilograms on a mission to Mars.

While the Miura Next Heavy is seen as the best option for commercial satellite launches, the Super Heavy version is specifically designed for more ambitious missions, including Moon and Mars missions.

PLD Space expects the first Miura Next rocket to launch around 2030, with the more powerful versions following by 2033.

Lince: Europe’s First Private Crewed Capsule

PLD Space also revealed a mockup of Lince, a crewed capsule that can carry four to five astronauts into low Earth orbit.

Lince marks a significant leap for Europe, as this would be the first crewed spacecraft developed by a private European company. PLD Space has been working on Lince secretly for the past year, with only 40 of its more than 250 employees knowing about the project.

"This is not a cartoon or a plastic capsule. It is a real engineering model,"- Raúl Torres, PLD Space CEO

The capsule is designed to be versatile, with the ability to transport people into space for future missions.

The first test of Lince is planned for 2030, with an uncrewed mission lasting three days in orbit before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean or Mediterranean Sea. PLD Space also has plans to conduct drop tests of the capsule’s parachute and recovery systems as soon as next year.

The company will use the Miura 5 rocket to perform suborbital test flights for Lince, refining the technology before full-scale launches.

Funding Challenges

While PLD Space has raised 155 million euros ($170 million) so far—enough to fund the development of the Miura 5—the development of the larger Miura Next and the Lince capsule will require much more funding, approximately 700 million euros.

PLD Space’s focus is not on relying on European governments to fund the projects but rather on selling launch services once the rockets and spacecraft are developed.

"We don’t want money for development. We just want contracts," - Raúl Torres, PLD Space CEO

PLD Space’s ambition to develop large, reusable rockets also has geopolitical significance. Europe currently lags behind the U.S. and China in space infrastructure and future plans.

"We have our Ariane 6 and, what next? Nothing," - Raúl Torres, PLD Space CEO

SPARK Program: Inspiring the Next Generation

As part of its commitment to making space more accessible, PLD Space also introduced the SPARK program, which offers free launch services for scientific and technological projects developed by students and research institutions.

The program has already attracted 98 applications from 24 countries, and Spain’s first female astronaut, Sara García-Alonso, presented the initiative at the event.

"Our goal is to inspire society to dream big," - Sara García-Alonso, Spain First Female Astronaut.

Through SPARK, PLD Space hopes to encourage the next generation of space enthusiasts and engineers to take part in shaping the future of space exploration.

With its plans for reusable rockets, human spaceflight, and a commitment to technological innovation, PLD Space is poised to make a significant mark on the global space industry—pushing Europe into a new era of space leadership.