Spanish company launches reusable rocket in breakthrough for European space ambitions

Startup PLD Space says launch of Miura-1 is just the beginning' amid European drive to send satellites into orbit

Spanish company PLD Space launched its reusable Miura-1 rocket early on Saturday from a site in south-west Spain, carrying out Europe's first fully private rocket launch and offering hope for its stalled space ambitions.

The startup's test nighttime launch from Huelva came after two previous attempts were scrubbed. The Miura-1 rocket, named after a breed of fighting bull, is as tall as a three-storey building and has a 100kg (220-pound) cargo capacity. The launch carried a payload for test purposes but this would not be released, the company said.