The center of the European Space Agency in Poland? “It is possible that it will be created”

Poland has a chance to join countries where the European Space Agency has its centers – confirmed in an interview with PAP former head of Poland prof. Grzegorz Wrochna. In his opinion, this would be another step in building our position in space Europe and in the world.

The fact that Poland is applying for the construction of a center of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced at a press conference on July 24 after meeting with Astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. He said that the Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański talked to the CEO Josef Aschbacher. The president of the Polish Space Agency (Polsa) Marta Wachowicz added that the ESA center would be devoted to double application technologies (i.e. intended for civil and military purposes – PAP).

Our country's efforts to launch such a center were confirmed in an interview with PAP prof. Grzegorz Wrochna from the Association of Polish Entrepreneurs of the Space Industry, who managed Polsa until March 2025.

– The headquarters of the European Space Agency is located in Paris, but there are also centers near Munich and in Cologne, where our astronaut trained, there is a large center in the Netherlands and smaller in Great Britain and Austria. It is really worth Poland to have such a center. It would be another step in building our position in cosmic Europe and in the world – after increasing our contribution to ESA three years ago and after sending an astronaut with a mission to an international space station – he emphasized.

When asked about the location of a potential center, he replied that this was a government decision. – Certainly it would have to be built in a large center that has good academic facilities and which has connectivity with the world, including He has an airport – explained the interlocutor of PAP.

Technologies for broadly understood safety would be created in the center. – The term “double application technologies” today is not very valid. We live during hybrid wars, which also include IT, electromagnetic, disinformation and propaganda attacks. They are not necessarily carried out by the army. To this must be added individual attacks on infrastructure, border incidents. At the same time, we are dealing with climate change and more and more frequent extreme weather phenomena, including floods and great forest fires – noted prof. Wrochna.

He added that the effects of military and terrorist attacks as well as natural disasters or accidents are often similar and in a similar way you need to prepare for them and minimize their effects.

– In all these cases we must secure the basic functioning of the necessary infrastructure. So we need, among others Earth imaging, both optical and radar, conducted from satellites and drones. We also need broadband Internet access, encrypted connectivity for special purposes, positioning and time distribution. Such technologies are also used on a daily basis, e.g. to support agriculture, transport or transmitting energy. We also need to know what is happening in orbit, whether our satellites are not threatened with any collisions, whether someone does not overhear them, not who and when they watch us. So we need to monitor satellites and also take them to orbit. So we need appropriate technologies for these purposes – said former President of Polsa.

He pointed out that ESA is already working on many of these technologies, also with the participation of Poland, in particular in the “Space for Population” program (Civil Security from Space). The results are then available to all Member States. – We expect, however, that if such a center was established in Poland, our country would play a dominant role. Therefore, orders for the implementation of these projects, e.g. for specific satellites, ground devices, software, will be directed primarily to our companies and scientific units. This means that Polish companies and institutions will have the entire technology, all its details. Therefore, they will be able to produce satellites especially for our country, over which we will have complete control – emphasized prof. Wrochna.

He also considered an exceptionally important opportunity for the development of cosmic staff. – The benefit would be double. On the one hand, the ESA center will need specialists, on the other hand they will be needed by companies that will get orders for programs conducted in it – he pointed out.

According to prof. The ESA Wrochny Center in Poland would be financed from the contributions of all countries that would be interested in this program. He added that it is now difficult to estimate what the financial participation of Poland would be in its creation.

– It depends on specific programs, and the range of possibilities is very wide. It is worth recalling, however, that we spend only 0.03 percent on space technologies in Poland. national income. Meanwhile, we will allocate 5 percent to defense issues soon. Observing how quickly the role of satellite technology in contemporary defense is growing, I believe that their share of all the state expenditure on defense should grow as fast. The more that these are investments that pay – in monetary form, but also in the form of state security and citizens and the country's resistance to various crises – said former Polish head.

In his opinion, it is “absolutely necessary” that Poland has its own capabilities in the field of space technologies. The meaning of the ESA center will be invaluable in this.

– It's about our safety. We can't afford to buy everything abroad, because we will never be independent. We must master the necessary technologies and develop independent production. The choice is only whether we will develop these technologies ourselves, almost from scratch or as part of the European Space Agency – he emphasized.

Marek Matacz (PAP)

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