The military has eyes in space. PIAST satellites sent several dozen test photos

PIAST satellites have obtained identifiers in the American Norad ID system. They have therefore been cataloged as further artificial objects in space with assigned numbers and names PIAST-S1, PIAST-S2 and PIAST-M – the Military University of Technology reported on Monday. They also sent test photos to Earth.

– Finding and identifying our satellites after separation and determining their orbital parameters under time pressure were easier thanks to obtaining precise observational data from several independent sources – the project manager, Brig. Gen. told PAP. reserves Ph.D. Eng. Adam Sowa from the Military University of Technology.

As he explained, in the very difficult period immediately after the separation of the satellites from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, the PIAST project team was supported by information from the ARGUS Satellite Operations Center (Geospatial Reconnaissance and Satellite Services Agency) and Sybilla Technologies.

The satellites sent several dozen test photos to Earth. They show, among others: PIAST-M satellite recorded in the early orbital phase by the ground network of optical sensors from Sybilla Technologies. The data was obtained as part of the European Space Agency – Competitiveness Segment of ESA's Space Safety Programme.

Currently, in accordance with the PIAST mission plan, the launch and testing of individual satellite subsystems, the so-called commissioning phase. After its completion at the turn of January and February this year. the satellites will be ready to perform nominal tasks, i.e. testing operational concepts and satellite subsystems and payloads developed in Poland in accordance with the mission plan. The quality and resolution of photos taken by satellites will be improved in the so-called post-processing using artificial intelligence algorithms.

The Management Board of Creotech Instruments SA announced on Monday that on January 11 this year. the commissioning phase of the PIAST-M satellite platform has been completed. All elements of the platform behave as intended and are fully functional. Cooperation with an optical telescope developed by the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences was also tested – several dozen photos were taken and sent to Earth. Moreover, the PIAST-S1 and S2 satellites, currently in the commissioning phase, are fully stabilized.

The first photo sent shows the city of Houston in the USA, and in particular the Astrodome stadium area. – It was taken on December 10, just four days after the first photo we presented. The two remaining photos are of Poland, the Martwa Wisła area in Gdańsk and the vicinity of the Astrogeodynamic Observatory in Borówiec, Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (near Poznań). Both photos of Poland were taken on December 19 during the same satellite flight over our country, less than 1 minute apart. The satellite first had to track the area around Gdańsk with a telescope, and then quickly turned around and started tracking the area around Poznań – described Gen. Adam Sowa.

The presented test images in the visible range of electromagnetic radiation were obtained before the optical system was calibrated and before image parameters were improved, so they have a lower resolution compared to the target images.

PIAST is a research and development project implemented under an agreement with the National Center for Research and Development, which aims to build comprehensive, autonomous Polish dual-use satellite capabilities based on Polish technologies. The project is intended to develop national competences in both the space and terrestrial segments and in conducting satellite operations from the Mission Control Center located at the Military University of Technology. WAT is the leader of the consortium, which includes Creotech Instruments, Scanway, PCO, the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation. The project is co-financed by NCBR as part of the SZAFIR program initiated by the Ministry of National Defense.

The constellation of three small satellites carries out a mission testing technologies developed in Poland, related to the satellite platform itself and with payloads (e.g. telescopes or laser systems that measure distances and laser communications). It was launched into orbit on November 28 last year (PAP)

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