Spanish company PLD Space and the French space agency CNES are evaluating the feasibility of building a second launch complex at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The parties are considering the site of the former Diamant rocket launch facility, which is currently being repurposed by CNES for shared use by multiple private operators.
The proposed facility is intended to support the operations of two PLD Space launch vehicles: the Miura 5 and the larger Miura 9. Both rockets are part of a contract signed in August with the European Space Agency under the European Launcher Challenge program. This initiative aims to expand the fleet of European commercial rockets and reduce reliance on foreign launch providers.
The contract, valued at €158.9 million, is primarily funded by Spain with additional support from Germany. PLD Space is already developing its first launch complex at Kourou, following a contract signed with CNES in June 2025. The company expects to conduct the inaugural launch of the Miura 5 from this initial site in 2026.
To date, the company has completed one flight, which involved the suborbital Miura 1 rocket in October 2023. While the second launch complex remains in the study phase, its development would provide the necessary infrastructure to scale future launch operations for both the Miura 5 and Miura 9 vehicles from the Kourou spaceport.
