Poland’s national space agency sees itself as kindred spirit to Australia, with similar aspirations to develop its space industry.
But one big difference is that Poland, a NATO member since 1999, is right next door to Ukraine, providing a gateway for supplies for Ukraine’s brutal fight against Russian invaders.
Ukraine also has a space industry and Poland is doing its bit to assist.
Visiting Australia with a substantial delegation of Polish space and aerospace companies for the Avalon air show, Dr Michal Wiercinski, vice-president of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), told ADM they wanted to build their operational capabilities for earth observation, space situational awareness and telecommunications.
So does the Australian Space Agency.
“Exactly. We would like to establish in the future an operational centre that will be composed of some functional pillars,” he said.
“We would like to have a comprehensive independent access to space, access from space to earth for earth observation. First space situational awareness to see what is going on upstairs. Then our own satellites to be able to see what’s going on on earth.”
Poland stood up its space agency in 2014, four years before Australia. It operates under the ministry of economic development and technology.
Right now the country has 10 nano-satellites in orbit, two scientific and the rest for low resolution earth observation. Launches were provided by commercial providers. Alas the last planned launch of two Polish satellites with Virgin Orbit failed.
Mr Wiercinski said Poland’s next satellite would be substantially larger with multiple payloads and launch planned for next year.
“During the meetings with the head of the Australian Space Agency we are proposing this platform for common Australian-Polish programs,” he said.
“We have the same strategic goals, space situational awareness, Earth observation and access to space.”
“In Poland we will not be able to build our own spaceport due to our geography.”
That could mean launching Polish satellites from Australia aboard Australian rockets, once launch begins, maybe as soon as later this year.
Mr Wiercinski said he was personally responsible for cooperation with Ukraine’s space agency, providing a linkage to the European Space Agency, of which Poland has been a member since 2012 .
“The ambition of Ukraine is to become a European Space Agency member state.”
Mr Wiercinski said as part of its space situational awareness mission, Poland last year contracted Ukraine to use its radars for space surveillance.
Even with the Russian invasion, Ukraine fulfilled the contract on time with 100 per cent success, he said.