PLD Space

PLD Space
Private
Industry Aerospace
Founded 2011 (2011)
Headquarters Elche, Spain
Key people
 Raúl Torres (co-founder & CEO); Raúl Verdú (co-founder & R&DO); Eleazar González (Rocket engineer)
Products ARION 1
ARION 2
Services Orbital rocket launch
Website pldspace.com

PLD Space is a Spanish company founded in 2011 with the objective of developing low cost launch vehicles. Currently, the company is developing two models of rockets called ARION-1 and ARION-2 for suborbital and orbital markets.[1] The targets of the company are CubeSats, Micro-g environment and defense technology. On July 1, 2015, the company accomplished the first test with liquid fuel motor (Propulsion Vertical Test Stand 1 - VTS 1)[2] located in the airport of Teruel, in Spain. The first commercial launch is planned in 2018. In December 2015, the company was given an award by the Spanish Scientist Association for their design and development of prototypes, partially recoverable for rockets.

Vehicles

ARION-2

ARION 1

First design

It was supposed to be a two stage rocket with the capacity of suborbital flight. It was originally planned to be 12m wide, with a capacity of 250 kg (551 lb). The motors would have been refrigerated liquid fuel called kerolox combining oxygen and Kerosene.[3]

Second design

The second and actual design is smaller than the first version. The new model has only one stage with a capacity of 100 kg (220 lb). The motor will be Neton 1 of 30 kN fed by kerolox. PLD Space hopes to test this new model of engine in 2016, and if no mishaps occur, the first launch of ARION-1 for a suborbital test is planned for March 2018 from the premises known as The Arenosillo (CEDEA ), Huelva. The first commercial launch is planned in September of the same year.[4]

ARION 2

The second vehicle is a three-stage rocket capable of orbital flight. It is an evolved version of the model ARION-1. It has a mass of 7000 kg and a height of 18 meters and can it can reach 250 km in high orbit. The weight of the payload is between 50 and 150 kg (330 lb) and the first launch for ARION-2 is scheduled in February 2020. In the same year, the first commercial launch will also take place, with a satellite of 50 kg (110 lb) and with four CubeSat, funded by different universities. The first lunar launch is planned around 2023. The company is planning to situate the future launching platform of the rocket ARION-2 in the Canary Islands. Canary Islands.[5]

Launch calendar

Launch Schedule
ARION 1[6] ARION 2 [7] Tipo
Apr 2018 Sep 2021Test
Sep 2018 Jan 2022
Jan 2019 Jun 2022
Jun 2019 Jan 2023
Jan 2020 Apr 2023

References

  1. ↑ Space, PLD. "Propulsion test stand VTS-1". Youtube. Google. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  2. ↑ Peláez, Javier. "PLD Space, la empresa española camino de lanzar satélites e incluso alcanzar la Luna". Yahoo noticias. Yahoo. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Marín, Daniel. "La primera prueba de un motor cohete de combustible líquido en España". Eureka. Naukas. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Herranz, F. "PLD Space probará el primer motor español de combustible líquido". infoespacial. idsolutions. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Miravalls, Julio. "Cohetes reutilizables made in Spain". Miravalls.es. Diario online. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. ↑ Space, PLD. "Launch Calendar". PLD. PLD. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  7. ↑ Space, PLD. "Launch Calendar". PLD. PLD. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
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