Spanish company PLD Space made Europe's first ever fully private rocket launch, but it didn't make it to space

PLD Space has celebrated an important achievement. The Spanish company has completed the first fully private rocket launch in European history.

Here's What We Know

Miura 1 is Spain's first rocket. It launched last weekend from the El Arenosillo test centre of the National Space Technology Institute of the Spanish municipality of Huelva.

PLD Space regards the launch as a success, although the rocket failed to reach its intended target. Miura 1 was expected to reach an altitude of 80 kilometres from the surface of our planet in 12 minutes. That is where the boundary of space passes, according to NASA classification. In some countries, the boundary is considered the Karman line (100 kilometres from the Earth's surface), but that's another story.

In any case, Miura 1 could not even get to the 50 km mark. The flight of the Spanish 12.5-metre rocket ended at an altitude of about 46 km. The flight data collection equipment was on board. After 5 minutes and 6 seconds of flight, Miura 1 landed in the Atlantic Ocean.

PLD Space worked for more than 12 years to make this launch happen. The information obtained will help in the development of the Miura 5 orbital rocket. This was stated by Raul Torres, co-founder of the Spanish company.

Source: space