SpaceX declines military work while Spanish rocket Miura 5 nears completion

Elon Musk’s SpaceX made a surprising move this week by politely declining three proposed launch contracts from the US Space Force. The decision came just as the company faced scrutiny regarding its civilian Starship program, which a NASA safety panel indicated might require a substantial amount of propellant to achieve lunar landing capabilities. While the rejection of military business is notable, the broader narrative of the week is defined by the complex logistics of deep space travel and the steady progress of smaller international players.

The Space Force had offered SpaceX three specific contracts for military launches. Despite the lucrative nature of these deals, the company opted to pass them up. This decision stands out in a sector where securing government work is often a primary strategy for maintaining cash flow and operational momentum. For the Pacific Northwest audience, this highlights the unpredictable nature of the commercial space market, where even the dominant player can choose to leave money on the table to focus on other strategic priorities.

On the civil side, the focus shifted to the Starship vehicle, which remains the centerpiece of SpaceX’s ambitions for Mars and the Moon. A panel of NASA safety experts reviewed the requirements for a lunar landing mission. They concluded that the vehicle may need to perform as many as 22 orbital refueling operations before it can successfully land on the lunar surface. This high number of refuelings underscores the engineering challenges involved in moving massive amounts of propellant from orbit to a specific destination in space.

The requirement for up to 22 refueling events is a significant logistical hurdle. It implies a complex choreography of tankers and the Starship itself in low Earth orbit. Each refueling operation carries inherent risks and requires precise maneuvering. The safety panel’s assessment suggests that the current architecture for lunar missions is still being refined to balance safety margins with mission feasibility. For engineers in the region, this is a reminder that space travel is as much about precision and patience as it is about raw power.

Meanwhile, in Europe, a Spanish rocket startup is making steady progress toward its maiden flight. PLD Space announced that its Miura 5 rocket is nearing final integration. The company has already manufactured three of these small lift vehicles. The first two are being used to qualify key system elements, while the third is intended to be the actual launch vehicle for the inaugural mission. CEO Raúl Torres noted in an update on October 19 that this approach allows the team to apply lessons learned from qualification campaigns directly to the flight model.

Torres explained that building three vehicles simultaneously has allowed their teams to work continuously across different stages of production and integration. This parallel development strategy is designed to accelerate the timeline and ensure that the launch vehicle is as robust as possible before it leaves the ground. The company is now targeting a first flight for the small lift vehicle before mid-2027. This timeline is ambitious but reflects the fast-paced nature of the new generation of space startups.

One of the Miura 5 second stages is now fully integrated and has been moved to the company’s test facility in Teruel. Here, it will undergo a qualification campaign that includes a wet dress rehearsal and a static hot fire test. These tests are critical for verifying that the engine and structural components can withstand the stresses of an actual launch. The fact that the stage is at the facility for these specific tests indicates that the vehicle is moving from the manufacturing phase into the rigorous testing phase that precedes flight.

In Canada, another startup is looking to expand its footprint significantly. Reaction Dynamics, one of three prominent Canadian launch startups, is seeking to raise 350 million dollars. The funds are intended to grow the company’s staff from its current 68 employees to more than 350 people. This expansion is aimed at supporting the development of its small lift Aurora rocket, which the company hopes will reach orbit in 2028. The raise signals a growing confidence in the North American launch market and the viability of smaller, more frequent launch options.

Reaction Dynamics has also announced plans to develop a medium lift rocket called Borealis. This vehicle is targeted for a debut by 2031. The addition of a medium lift class to the company’s portfolio suggests a long-term strategy to capture a wider range of market opportunities. As the industry continues to diversify, with companies like SpaceX making bold strategic choices and smaller players like PLD Space and Reaction Dynamics pushing forward with new vehicles, the coming months will be critical for determining who will lead the next wave of commercial spaceflight.

The combination of SpaceX’s selective approach to military contracts, the technical challenges facing Starship’s lunar ambitions, and the steady progress of international competitors paints a complex picture of the current space landscape. For readers in the Pacific Northwest, a region with a strong aerospace heritage, these developments underscore that the space industry is evolving rapidly. The next few years will likely see a test of which strategies, whether it is high-volume military work or precise orbital refueling, will ultimately define success in the new space age.