Spanish rocket launch aborted due to last-minute glitch

The maiden flight of Spain's first rocket was aborted Saturday after countdown ended because of a last-minute technical problem, the startup PLD Space said.

The launch of the Miura 1 in the southwestern province of Huelva was "automatically aborted" as some of the umbilical -- which is used to provide power and fuel to rockets -- did not release as it should, Raul Torres, a co-founder of PLD Space, tweeted.

"We will analyze the data to have more information," he added.

The launch of the Miura 1, named after a breed of fighting bulls, had initially been scheduled for May 31 but was postponed due to high winds.

Standing just 12 meters (40 feet) tall, the small reusable rocket was to fly 100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth.

While that distance would put it in outer space, the rocket is not powerful enough to reach orbit.

Saturday's sub-orbital launch had been slated to bring a payload with micro-gravity experiments.

Companies are rushing to develop launchers to address a growing satellite market.

Around 18,500 small orbiters weighing less than 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) are projected to be launched in the coming decade, according to analysts from Euroconsult.




AFP