Sanchez Heralds Spain´s Space Arrival

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 Madrid Metropolitan Business, space, spain news, technology

Spain is set to become a major space power according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who announced that she will be launching a “micro” rocket made by a Spanish company into space within the next few weeks.

Sánchez said that his government was determined to “put Spain at the forefront of the aerospace transport industry” saying that the sector is a strategic priority for the country.

Visiting the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Mazagón (Huelva) the Prime Minister said that the private sector will be supported by the government to put Spanish rockets into space.

Sánchez stressed that today Spanish aerospace is a “powerful and competitive” industry, with a total economic impact exceeding €13 billion in 2020 – 1.2% of Spanish GDP and 5.4% of industrial GDP – and the capacity to provide 155,000 direct and indirect jobs, many of them highly specialised.

He also pointed out that investment in R&D in Spain has already reached €1.5 billion in 2022.

The company, BLD Space, aims to carry out up to four flights per year on its re-usable rocket.

Sanchez said: “Your dream is shared by all Spanish society, because we have a common goal, which is to put Spain at the forefront of the space transportation industry.”

For his part, the company’s president, Ezquiel Sanchez, said that the launch of the missile demonstrated Spain’s capabilities in this sector.

He explained that Spain is showing its technological leadership in Europe by providing the capacity to lead the growing strategic sector of small satellite launches and maintenance.

After MIURA1, the company plans to develop another reusable launch vehicle in 2024, dubbed MIURA5, to put more small satellites into orbit.

In Spanish Space Agency was launched in 2022 and is based in Sevilla with a €4.5 billion budget until 2025.