EIB Provides €30M Loan to PLD Space for MIURA 5 Rocket Development
April 7, 2026 – 12:29 pm
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €30 million venture debt loan with PLD Space to support the final development stage of its MIURA 5 rocket. This funding, backed by InvestEU and guaranteed on April 7th in Elche, Spain, is part of PLD Space’s €210 million fundraising goal for 2026.
MIURA 5, a two-stage rocket designed to deploy small satellites into low Earth orbit, is scheduled for its inaugural test flight later this year from the Guiana Space Centre. The operation marks the EIB’s first direct investment in a small satellite launcher.
The Series C funding closed in March was led by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and brought PLD Space’s total fundraising to €380 million to date. This includes launch service contracts committed by the Spanish government through ESA’s European Launcher Challenge.
EIB Vice President Robert de Groot emphasized the bank’s support for PLD Space to achieve globally competitive price levels in a crucial segment as European autonomous access to space gains strategic priority. EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius highlighted independent launch capability as essential "to our security, our economy, and our future."
PLD Space, founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, is Spain’s first private rocket company. With over 450 employees and facilities spanning over 188,000 square meters across Spain, French Guiana, and Oman, the company aims to execute more than 30 commercial launches annually by 2030.