BIP
On 24 September 2024, the Space Industry Day Wrocław 2024 took place in triQube. The meeting was opened by Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodship, and Professor Grzegorz Wrochna, who heads the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), which is subordinate to the Ministry of Development and Technology and whose main task is to support the Polish space industry.
The Agency, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of its establishment this year, is responsible for promoting the Polish space sector both at home and abroad. It is also an active participant in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes. It conducts information and education activities aimed at increasing public awareness of the benefits of space technologies. POLSA is involved in initiating and coordinating research and development projects, supporting innovation and competence development of Polish companies and scientific institutions in the space sector. Through cooperation with international partners, the agency seeks to create conditions conducive to the development of space technologies in Poland.
During his speech, prof. Grzegorz Wrochna emphasised the importance of integrating the activities of scientists, entrepreneurs and public institutions for the development of the space sector in the country. He also drew attention to the exceptional significance of the region, calling Lower Silesia a 'panoramic window on space'. He pointed to the numerous companies involved in key technologies such as Earth imaging and satellite communications.
Next, Jakub Kowalewski of POLSA's Department of Strategy and International Cooperation presented the updated Polish Space Strategy and the project of National Space Programme, indicating the directions of the sector's development until 2030. Priorities include building capabilities for the construction and launch of space objects, the development of a satellite-based Earth observation system and tools for the effective use of satellite data.
Subsequent speakers, including Paweł Kwiatkowski of ESA Technology Brokers and Michał Chwieduk of ESA BIC, discussed available forms of financial support and cooperation for companies in the space sector and start-ups at regional and international levels. And Rafał Kocemba from the Marshal Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodship presented local financial support programmes for entrepreneurs. Jeremiasz Merkel from POLSA presented the benefits of cooperation with the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which enables Polish companies to participate in tenders, technology transfer and gives scientists access to advanced observatory instruments and scholarship programmes.
Later in the event, the focus was on the topic of lunar exploration and the concept of the Polish Lunar Mission, developed in cooperation with more than 20 industry players, was presented. The mission envisages scientific experiments such as exploration of raw material deposits or astrobiology experiments. Meanwhile, prof. Krzysztof Sosnica from Wrocław University of Life Sciences discussed Poland's role in the design of future navigation missions such as Moonlight, GENESIS and Galileo II.
The next part dealt with relevant scientific and technological experiments carried out in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS). Projects presented included: volcanic microalgae in space, psychological aspects of astronaut health during long-term missions, research into biodegradable polymers for medical applications in space, and the LeopardISS system, using artificial intelligence to process data directly on board the satellite.
In the last part of the meeting, consisting of two sessions, Polish companies and institutions presented their innovative projects and achievements in the space sector. Projects presented included the AURORA satellite terminal and the Small GEO HTS geostationary satellite, the STAR VIBE and PIAST projects, and the mission of the EagleEye satellite, one of the largest Polish microsatellite projects, implemented on the HyperSat platform in cooperation with strategic institutions.
The subject of satellite communications was perfectly in line with POLSA's future plans, which intends to intensively develop satellite projects, including the National Satellite Information System (NSIS) and a constellation of more than 50 optical and radar observation satellites. This will fundamentally enhance Poland's Earth monitoring capabilities. The agency will also invest in space monitoring technologies, including space debris detection systems. A forthcoming event worth mentioning is POLSA's organisation of the first Polish technological mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for 2025, during which a Polish astronaut will conduct experiments including studies of the stability of nanomaterials in microgravity, the use of artificial intelligence in space and an analysis of the effects of long-term lack of gravity on the human immune system.
