In 1994 Poland as the first Central-European Country signed the co-operation agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) and in 2014 the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) was established. Thanks to this Polish institutions and companies have been attending ESA’s missions, including the most recent one JUICE – Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer – to research Jupiter satellites, Europe, Callisto and Ganymede, and verify if life conditions could exist under their icy covers. The explorer launched from French Guiana in April 2023 contains 11 specialist instruments, including two engineered by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and a private company Astronika to measure electric and magnetic fields and ionised gas radio waves. Another Polish company Sener participated in construction of the explorer solar panels. JUICE will reach Jupiter in 2031.
In November 2023 ESA selected a consortium directed by a Polish company Creotech Instruments for the most important European space mission of mapping the Moon. It includes Twardowski Project to construct a Polish satellite to orbit the Moon and provide precise data enabling possible exploitation of the Moon resources. Creotech Instruments is responsible for designing the whole mission and the satellite based on original Hyper-Sat platform. The project will be completed in January 2026.
In the beginning of May 2024 Polish space industry celebrated one more success, signing an agreement with ESA to prepare and realise series of scientific experiments in the International Space Station (ISS), such as researching impact of long-term stay in space on human mental health, functioning of artificial intelligence (AI) equipment in low gravity, monitoring ISS noise and using micro-algae in space missions and medicine.
“After ten years, in which Polish companies and institutions made their first steps in the European space industry, we already have experience and competence to join the technology race attended by the biggest countries” said Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna, POLSA President.
