Press Release: The Spanish company is advancing with CNES in the development of its launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG, Kourou), a milestone that will strengthen Europe’s sovereignty in space access.
PLD Space, an international space transportation company, takes a historic step by becoming the first private company to launch rockets from the ELM-Diamant area of the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou. This achievement is the result of close collaboration with CNES since 2018, consolidated following the signing of the MIURA 5 Launch Complex development contract in June 2025.
During the event organized yesterday by CNES at the CSG to present the ELM-Diamant area, Aníbal Villalba, Chief Strategy & Public Affairs Officer at PLD Space, presented the company’s Launch Complex, showcasing the project’s progress and its importance for future MIURA 5 launches. Fernando Cerezuela, Chief General Services Officer of PLD Space; Gianluca Carollo, MIURA 5 Program Manager of PLD Space; and part of the company’s permanent team based in Kourou also attended the CNES ‘first stone’ event.
PLD Space positions itself as a pioneer in private operations at the CSG, after maintaining discussions with CNES since 2018 and becoming the first private company to receive Flight Safety Submission for MIURA 5. This milestone certifies that the vehicle’s architecture meets the base’s safety requirements and paves the way for launches from ELM-Diamant.
The contract, signed at the CNES Chalet during the Le Bourget Air Show, allows PLD Space to develop the infrastructure of its Launch Complex, including the Preparation Zone and the Launch Zone. The complex will cover 15,765 m² and will be divided into specific and common facilities: CNES will develop the common means, while PLD Space will oversee the areas dedicated to integration, testing, and launch.
The company has already begun civil works and maintains a permanent team in French Guiana, advancing steadily to have everything ready for MIURA 5’s first orbital launch in 2026. According to the roadmap, up to 30 missions per year are expected by 2030, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and generating economic and social impact in the region.
PLD Space will create 56 direct and indirect jobs by 2030, as well as initiatives to strengthen the local supply chain, promote knowledge transfer, and boost the technological and educational ecosystem, implementing training programs such as the PLD Space Academy, the Early Talent Program, and Career Days, already active in continental Europe.
More info here.
