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

Virgin Orbit Holdings

14/06/2023 16:57

(Adds context in paragraph 4, quote in paragraph 7)
       MADRID, June 14 (Reuters) - Spanish startup PLD Space
has signed a memorandum of understanding with France's
Arianespace to develop joint services to launch small satellites
into orbit, the Spanish company said on Wednesday.
    The agreement will allow PLD Space to offer its customisable
services to Arianespace customers, it said in a statement.
  
PLD Space hopes to start commercial activity in 2025 and plans
to make a first suborbital test in the next days or weeks in
southern Spain, after calling off a launch at the end of May due
to high altitude winds.
    It plans to gradually increase its capacity to 10 to 12
launches per year by the end of this decade.
     Plans to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites in
the next few years have spawned rocket companies targeting what
some analysts expect will be a $1 trillion market by 2030.
  
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.
     "Collaboration with strategic partners such as Arianespace
is further proof of our commitment to increase Europe's
commercial space access capability at a time when it is most
needed," Ezequiel Sanchez, PLD executive president, said in the
statement.
     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, Mark Potter and Richard Chang)
((mailto:emma.pinedo@thomsonreuters.com; +918 35 68 34;))