PLD Space, one of Europe’s up and coming launch providers, is making a large investment into one of the most historic and important launch facilities. The company will invest 35 million euros ($40.8 million) in the development and deployment of its launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, over the 2025-2026 period.
Interestingly, PLD Space becomes the first private operator to deploy capital expenditure at this scale at the ELM-Diamant site, which it said will contribute to the diversification and strengthening of Europe’s historic spaceport. The Spanish launch startup announced the investment on June 1.
Of the total investment, 22 million euros ($25.7 million) is being executed within the French industrial ecosystem, with 13 million euros ($15.2 million) directly allocated to more than 20 companies based in French Guiana, including a significant number of SMEs.
PLD Space says it remains on track for its first Miura 5 launch from the Guiana Space Centre in 2026, marking a key milestone in Europe’s emerging commercial launch ecosystem
“This investment represents a major milestone for PLD Space and for Europe’s emerging commercial launch ecosystem. Developing our own launch infrastructure at the Guiana Space Centre strengthens Europe’s autonomous access to space while contributing to the industrial diversification of CSG. It also reflects our long-term commitment to building scalable, competitive and sovereign launch capabilities from Europe,” Ezequiel Sánchez, executive president of PLD Space said in a statement.
