Spanish rocket company PLD Space signs deal with France's Arianespace

Virgin Orbit Holdings

14/06/2023 15:37

MADRID, June 14 (Reuters) - Spanish startup PLD Space
has signed an agreement with France's Arianespace to develop
joint services to launch small satellites into orbit, the
Spanish company said on Tuesday.  
    The agreement will allow PLD Space, which aims to launch
micro-satellites and take a slice of a potential $1 trillion
business, to offer its customisable service - which is currently
under development - to Arianespace customers, it said. 
    PLD Space, which hopes to start commercial activity in 2025,
plans to make a first suborbital test in the next days or weeks
in southern Spain, after having called off a launch at the end
of May due to high altitude winds. 
    The Spanish company plans to gradually increase its capacity
to 10 to 12 launches per year by the end of this decade.    
    Europe's efforts to develop capabilities to send small
satellites into space are in focus after a failed orbital rocket
launch by Virgin Orbit from Britain in January. 
    Arianespace, which launches satellites from French Guiana,
is majority owned by ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus
 AIR.PA  and Safran  SAF.PA .

 (Reporting by Emma Pinedo
Editing by Inti Landauro and Mark Potter)
 ((emma.pinedo@thomsonreuters.com; +918 35 68 34;))