Author Topic: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread  (Read 110924 times)

Offline josespeck

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PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« on: 04/23/2015 11:16 am »
Ignition test for a Spanish rocket



http://pldspace.com/

https://twitter.com/PLD_Space

Offline The Amazing Catstronaut

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #1 on: 04/23/2015 05:15 pm »
Awesome! Great to see some more EU startups!

Quote from:  PLD Space Website
We are ready and committed. Developing a new family of small rocket launchers for suborbital and orbital markets, ARION-1 & ARION-2, PLD Space pretends to contribute to the european aerospace sector growth, providing fiability and innovation


Quote from:  PLD Space Website
PLD Space pretends to contribute to the european aerospace sector growth, providing fiability and innovation


Quote from:  PLD Space Website
PLD Space pretends to contribute...

They really need somebody to iron out the English on their webpage, if for PR and intelligibility purposes alone. Also, is it legally acceptable for them to show images of the rockets of other companies on their website?
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Offline The Amazing Catstronaut

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #2 on: 04/23/2015 05:23 pm »
Further reading reveals that they're attempting to make two ultra-light rockets, the  ARION-1 (sounding rocket) and the ARION-2 (dedicated orbital picosatellite LV). There are some token words about reusability: they aim to develop a "full[y] reusable launch vehicle." The scale graphic suggests that one day in the indeterminate future they aspire to be an Arianespace competitor. Nothing too solid available on the website.

Edit: Graphics of ARION-1 and 2 are visible on the website. Big darn' fins.
« Last Edit: 04/23/2015 05:25 pm by The Amazing Catstronaut »
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Offline JasonAW3

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #3 on: 04/23/2015 07:23 pm »
Ignition test for a Spanish rocket



http://pldspace.com/

https://twitter.com/PLD_Space

Good thing that was only an ignition test! that camera would have been history with anything more energetic!
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Offline josespeck

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Offline MarianoOchoa

Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #5 on: 07/02/2015 03:53 am »
First hot fire for their NetonVac engine
Source: Twitter@PLD_space

Offline MarianoOchoa

Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #6 on: 12/02/2015 07:30 pm »
Ok, everybody here must admit this is a great vid :)




Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #7 on: 01/08/2016 10:54 am »
Nice new development for PLD Space. They got a contract to test the engine developed by the DLR SMILE program, on their test-stand in Spain. Info here and here
Also A nice article was written by Spanish journalist Julio Miravalls about PLD Space, it can be found here and here.

The specs for Arion 1 and Arion 2 so far:
Arion1  Length 10m, Diameter 0,6m, engine Neton1 30kN LOx/RP-1. Suborbital rocket 100kg to 220km. The stage is reusable by guided parachute landing.
Arion 2: 2 or 3 stage rocket. Length 20m, Diameter 1,2m, First stage 2xSTG1 90kN, Second stage Neton1V 30kN (third stage 6kN green Hypergoolic (most likely HTP-Cathalist+RP-1). The first stage is also parashute rexoverable.
PLD Space plans a total of 18 launches per year from Spanisch launch center EL Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain), INTA. 10 Launches of Arion 2 the other 8 Arion1, for this they will constantly need three of both rockets. One in fabrication, one in refurbishment and one being prepared for a launch.
At the beginning of this year PLD Space wants to test the flight version of Neton1, they are raising 6mln euro to develop Arion1. In the article it is claimed that PLD Space has an orderbook worth of 40mln Euro already.
I wonder if the SMILE engine test program is included in this number.

Offline jsgirald

Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #8 on: 04/07/2016 09:30 am »
Today PLD announced that they have got €1.56M funding from the Spanish government to develop a reusable liquid rocket engine via the TEPREL project  (acronym=Spanish Reusable Space Propulsion Technology for Launchers).

As per their estimate, the full development cost will need €6M, so they are almost half way there (they had some previous funding from CDTI and some private investors).

BTW, in addition to developing their rockets, they want to use El Arenosillo as their main launch facility. They say that it might be a good competitive alternate to places like Kiruna (if only for the weather!). Actually in the future they'd like to launch Arion 2 from El Hierro in the Canary Islands, but that's tricky since it is a natural reserve and the local government usually opposes any form of industry (certainly tourism is their main income source and the hotel owners have a lot of influence).

There's a lot more info in this presentation from 18 months ago (in Spanish).


« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 09:49 am by jsgirald »
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Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #9 on: 04/07/2016 02:40 pm »
Nice video, I only don't understand Spanish and the translated subtitles aren't working.
What I could see was that the old design for Arion 1 was presented. It changed in 2015.
Here is an article (spanish), and one in english with the new design.

PLDspace is also involved in a Horison2020 project: :)
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 02:42 pm by Rik ISS-fan »

Offline jsgirald

Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #10 on: 04/07/2016 03:27 pm »
Nice video, I only don't understand Spanish and the translated subtitles aren't working.
What I could see was that the old design for Arion 1 was presented. It changed in 2015.
Here is an article (spanish), and one in english with the new design.

PLDspace is also involved in a Horison2020 project: :)

Yup, I found about PLD fron Daniel Marín's blog!  :) I overlooked the other one, though, thanks.

In fact the video is a bit outdated, but Raul Torres tells the story of their project and outlines their future plans so it's still worth watching if you don't know them.

I've emailed them with a lot of questions, but still no reply, welI I guess they are too busy!
The most interesting aspect of this project is that, contrary to an all too common trend in aerospace industry, they are focused on building things from day 1 rather than PR (they've just got a powerpoint and a couple of videos). In the presentation he tells how one of the engineers of the team had to design the test stand because nothing like that had ever been built in Spain!
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert".

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #11 on: 04/10/2016 09:27 pm »
I think this post should also be placed here.
PLD just got spanish government contract. Not big but a good boost for their prospects

So PLDspace got has two contracts running. The engine test for DLR (SMILE-horizon2020) and the contract from the spanish government to continue work on their own engines.
« Last Edit: 04/10/2016 09:31 pm by Rik ISS-fan »

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #12 on: 06/13/2016 11:09 pm »
So here is all of the YouTube Updates to date as some are missing in this topic thread:

PLD SPACE Tour - Propulsion test stand VTS-1
PLD SPACE
Published on Jul 2, 2015
PLD Space teaser trailer. Propulsion Vertical Test Stand 1 located at Teruel Airport (Spain)


PLD Space Development Engine. Calorimetric Model Hotfire Test
PLD SPACE
Published on Jul 24, 2015
NetonVac1 development engine on PLD Space Propulsion Vertical Test Stand-1 (VTS-1) at Teruel Airport (Spain).

LOX-Kerosene , pressure fed engine. Total burning time of 3 seconds. Calorimetric test to study combustion stability and star-up, cut-off sequence.
9 test performed, continuing research stage towards a regenerative model.


PLD Space development engine. Full power engine test
PLD SPACE
Published on Oct 13, 2015
NetonVac1 development engine on PLD Space Propulsion Vertical Test Stand-1 (VTS-1) at Teruel Airport (Spain).

LOX-Kerosene , pressure fed engine. Full power thrust engine test.


This is PLD Space | 2015
PLD SPACE
Published on Dec 1, 2015
Commercial Launch Services. Dedicated to small Payloads.

Real Hardware, not just a Concept.

PLD Space is a European startup that is developing space technologies to provide suborbital and orbital commercial launch services, dedicated to small payloads and nanosatellites.


TEPREL 1A | Test fire. T-10 Spanish countdown autosequence
PLD SPACE
Published on Jun 6, 2016
TEPREL 1A LOX-Kerosene rocket engine T-10 countdown autosequence.
Test performed at PLD Space Propulsion Test Facilities in Teruel Airport (Spain).


PLD Space Project. Opening #Space for commercial exploitation
PLD SPACE
Published on Jun 13, 2016
We are PLD Space, a european space startup that is working very hard to become the world leader in providing commercial launch services to small satellites. #GoFlight
« Last Edit: 06/13/2016 11:10 pm by russianhalo117 »

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #13 on: 10/07/2016 10:11 pm »
I found this PLD SPACE EU project page.
PLDSPACE is trying to raise 20mln euro in a series B for the Arion 2 development.
16mln euro has to be private money. Minimal investment is 4mln.
According to the document, the development will start September 2017.

Offline savuporo

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #14 on: 11/03/2016 01:00 am »
ESA is backing these guys some more

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2016/11/02/pld-space-esa-support-reusable-booster-development/
Quote
PLD Space ambition is to launch ARION 1 by the end of 2018 as Europe´s first liquid-fueled reusable launcher.

Meanwhile at PLD Space’s headquarters in Elche, engineers are working in the three major subsystems (propulsion, structures and avionics) of the ARION 1 micro-launcher to meet its first maiden flight by the end of 2018.
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Offline josespeck

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #15 on: 01/02/2017 07:47 pm »

Offline Welsh Dragon

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #16 on: 01/03/2017 08:28 am »
23k euro? I'm assuming that's after tax? Otherwise that's a ludicrously low wage for a job like that, surely?

Offline IRobot

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #17 on: 01/03/2017 11:14 am »
I would say that the salary is before taxes, as taxes depend on your marriage status, number of children, etc.

Engineering positions in Spain and Portugal pay really bad and there isnt much public recognition of our job. Plus, unemployment in Spain is quite large. So tens of thousands of Engineers leave for other European countries (that's why I partially moved to Germany).

Engineers from Spain have a harder time getting out, as their level of English is usually quite bad.
« Last Edit: 01/03/2017 11:14 am by IRobot »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #18 on: 01/09/2017 04:16 pm »
Quote
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  8m8 minutes ago
GMV(1) invests in Spanish rocket startup PLD Space, brings PLD to EUR 6.7M frm public/private sector, to supply GNC for PLD's Arion rockets.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/818501906763051010

Quote
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  5m5 minutes ago
GMV(2): @PLDSpace suborbital Arion1 to launch 2018 frm Spain. Arion2 for smallsats targets 2020 launch. @infoGMV  CEO Serrano on PLD board.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/818503179990089728

Offline savuporo

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Re: PLD Space General Updates and Discussions Thread
« Reply #19 on: 01/09/2017 04:20 pm »
Quote
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  8m8 minutes ago
GMV(1) invests in Spanish rocket startup PLD Space, brings PLD to EUR 6.7M frm public/private sector, to supply GNC for PLD's Arion rockets.

Thats a good strategic investor. Lots of experience and resources from a traditional industry background to complement the startup energy and ideas. Best of luck !
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