Poland has eyes in space. ICEYE has published the first photos taken by an Armed Forces satellite

ICEYE published the first photos from the Polish military satellite on Monday. As she described, these are great shots of several places in Poland – including those in the “world's best” resolution of 25 cm. The satellite of the Polish Armed Forces was launched into orbit on November 28.

The satellite, built as part of the MikroSAR program, is currently in the testing and calibration phase before being handed over to the Polish military.

“We have the first photos from the Polish military satellite – just a week after launch! Great shots of several places in Poland – including those in the world's best resolution of 25 cm! We are continuing to work to hand over the satellite to the Polish Armed Forces!” – wrote the Polish-Finnish company ICEYE on the X platform.

ICEYE satellites are equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Just a day after being put into orbit, communication with the satellite was established.

We have the first photos from the Polish military satellite – just a week after launch! Great shots of several places in Poland – including those in the world's best 25cm resolution! We are continuing to work to hand over the satellite to the Polish Armed Forces! @donaldtusk @KosiniakKamysz @CTomczyk

Link:… pic.twitter.com/GNRZWUecPW

— Rafal Modrzewski (@rmodrzewski) December 8, 2025

“After the successful launch and establishment of communication, standard early orbit phase procedures (LEOP) were carried out, including verification of the operation of individual satellite subsystems. After their completion, the implementation phase began, during which further tests are carried out – engineers precisely fine-tune the components, confirming the correct functioning of the entire system. These activities prepare the satellite to achieve full operational readiness and hand it over to the end user,” reads the ICEYE release.

The first Polish military satellite began producing images on December 2. On Monday, December 8, the company showed the first images of the Polish territory from consecutive days, obtained in various weather conditions, day and night. These include, for example, photos of the center of Warsaw, Gdańsk, the Tatra Mountains or the western border of Poland.

“Each satellite operating mode has been developed with a different application in mind – from observing wide areas, through medium-detail shots that enable, for example, monitoring borders and sea traffic, to high-resolution images that allow you to see changes at the level of individual objects,” the company said in a press release.

Gdańsk in the first photos from our satellite. Thank you @rmodrzewski! Let's keep going! pic.twitter.com/KR54ymt8Gq

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 8, 2025

By combining different imaging modes, the satellite can support the military in many situations. “Depending on your needs, you can quickly move from a general overview of large areas to a very detailed analysis of a specific place. Thanks to this, the Polish Armed Forces gain great flexibility in conducting reconnaissance,” we read.

As described, SAR technology allows the satellite to “see” during the day and night, and microwave waves penetrate clouds, smoke and fog. “This makes it possible to precisely detect objects and changes in the field, regardless of the weather. Since radar satellites do not use visible light, the image is monochromatic. Resistance to weather conditions and the ability to image 24/7 make SAR an ideal tool for military applications and in crisis management,” ICEYE said.

The satellite from which the first photos come is part of the military MikroSAR program, under which ICEYE is to provide the Polish Armed Forces with three radar satellites, with the option of expanding the constellation with another three units.

Since November 28, the PIAST satellite constellation has also been in orbit. Polish ImAging SaTellites (PIAST) is a research and development program implemented by the Military University of Technology (WAT) in a consortium with Creotech Instruments, the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation and the companies Scanway and PCO SA. The project is co-financed by NCBR as part of the SZAFIR program initiated by the Ministry of National Defense. It is intended to bring the Polish army benefits related to having its own, independent source of satellite data. (PAP)

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