The launch of the small Spanish Miura-1 rocket, suspended in mid-June due to a technical problem, has finally been postponed to September due to the risk of a forest fire, its manufacturer announced on Tuesday, AFP and Agerpres reported.

The rocket, developed by the Spanish start-up PLD Space, was to be launched from a military base located on the coast of Andalusia, in the province of Huelva (southwest). The first launch was first suspended on May 31 due to strong gusts of wind, then again on June 17 due to a malfunction in one of the rocket’s fuel lines.

After discussions with the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), it was finally decided to “move the launch to September,” PLD Space said in a statement.

According to the startup, this postponement is “related to the commitment to comply” with the rules “prevention of forest fires”, against the background of “high temperatures” in the south of Spain.

Strong heat in Spain

A maximum temperature of 44.4 degrees Celsius was recorded in the Huelva region on Monday in Spain’s first summer heat wave, which is forecast to last until Thursday.

The high temperatures common at this time of year in Andalucia increase the risk of wildfires in a context in which Spain has been facing two years of extreme drought.

According to PLD Space, the first flight of the Miura-1 is the first step towards the launch of the Miura-5 rocket, a reusable mini launch vehicle that will launch satellites weighing less than 500 kilograms starting in 2025.

Under a deal formalized last Wednesday, that future rocket will take off from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana rather than Huelva, according to PLD Space, the first private European company to debut in the market for reusable satellite launch vehicles. .