Poland has already launched more than 20 satellites, including five deployed recently: the three-satellite Piast constellation built by a consortium involving the Military University of Technology, Creotech, the Space Research Centre PAS, Scanway, PCO and IL; the MikroSAR satellite from ICEYE; and the PW6U satellite developed by SatRev.

“This is an impressive number considering the early stages of the satellite sector’s development. Remember that Polish satellites have only been flying for 13 years, and especially in recent years, we have made significant progress – Polish satellite launches were truly rare just a few years ago. In the last two years, there has been a surge in such projects. We have also launched fairly large objects, in the 50-kilogram class,” Barciński said.

Cooperation with ESA has played a significant role in accelerating the sector’s development. As part of Poland’s contribution, ESA provides access to expertise accumulated over decades and supports national projects with specialist consultations.

“As part of our contribution, ESA shares with us the expertise it has accumulated over decades. On our projects, we receive support from engineers and other specialists. We can always ask for a consultation. This is knowledge we would not have obtained anywhere else. Companies practically never share their know-how,” Barciński said.

Government funding decisions have also been a major factor, alongside rising private-sector involvement. Most satellites are commissioned by public institutions, reflecting what Barciński described as a clear commitment by the state to invest in space technologies. At the same time, private capital is playing a growing role, supported by investor interest and the stock market performance of space companies.

“The recipient of most satellites is the government, which has decided to invest in the development of these technologies. The will of the state administration is evident. This has been a strong impulse,” he said. “Private capital investment is becoming increasingly important, with the stock market success of space companies and investor interest clearly visible.”

Polish satellites are used primarily for Earth observation, which Barciński described as their most obvious application.

“We do not have better images of hard-to-reach areas of the Earth than satellite images. Moreover, observations can be conducted not only in the visible spectrum but also in other bands, such as infrared or various radio wavebands,” he said.

SAR radar satellites can provide imagery regardless of cloud cover, smoke or lighting conditions, making them useful for crisis response and security applications.

“Such instruments can therefore be used to detect various threats, provide situational awareness, and support various services in the event of natural disasters. National security is also crucial, and has become particularly important in recent years,” Barciński said.

To achieve effective coverage, constellations of satellites are required rather than single units.

“An observation satellite placed in low Earth orbit orbits the Earth approximately every 90 minutes. However, two key issues must be considered: it typically orbits in a circumpolar orbit, and the Earth is constantly rotating. This means that the satellite only passes over a certain point, including Poland, twice a day, for a short period. This means we need many instruments in space,” he said.

Poland is not yet building telecommunications satellites, which Barciński described as a much more demanding category.

“Typical instruments of this type are very different from observation satellites. Firstly – apart from devices like Starlink – they are much larger, and secondly, they are placed in geostationary orbit, which is 36,000 km above Earth. This is a completely different league,” he said.

Many Polish satellites also serve as platforms for scientific and technological testing, including missions designed to validate new systems in orbital conditions.

“In fact, many Polish satellites can be considered technology testing platforms,” Barciński said.

Testing in orbit is particularly important for companies entering the space sector, he added.

“Just because something works on Earth, even during very thorough tests, does not automatically mean it will work properly in orbit, where conditions are different,” Barciński said.

While Polish engineers have long built individual satellite components, taking responsibility for complete satellite systems remains a key challenge.

“We are now learning to take responsibility for the entire satellite – its design, construction, testing, and subsequent operation – as a complete system,” he said.

Despite these challenges, Barciński said the outlook for the sector is positive, citing a growing pool of specialists, increased funding and the planned establishment of a new ESA centre in Poland.

“The space sector, including the satellite sector, is becoming increasingly stable. I think its future looks bright,” he said.

PAP - Science in Poland, Marek Matacz (PAP)

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