On September 17, 1978, General Miroslaw Hermaszewski became the first Polish astronaut to orbit the Earth. He spent over eight days in space aboard the Soyuz 30 spacecraft, completing 126 orbits around our planet. To honor his achievement and dedication to space exploration, a unique initiative was launched to plant 126 trees in his name.
The first tree was planted in July 2021 in the town of Pleszew, where Hermaszewski was born
The planting ceremony was attended by local officials, members of the Polish Space Agency, and the Hermaszewski family. The remaining 125 trees were planted in other cities and towns throughout Poland, including Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan, and Gdansk.
The “cosmic garden” initiative not only honors Hermaszewski’s historic achievement but also aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our planet and preserving its natural resources. The trees serve as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all living things and the vital role that nature plays in sustaining life on Earth.
On Friday, March 17, 126 trees were planted at the Queen Jadwiga Astronomical Observatory in Rzepiennik Biskupi in Lesser Poland.
Employees and students of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, who completed an analog space mission, participated in planting trees.
The Queen Jadwiga Astronomical Observatory in Rzepiennik Biskupi in Lesser Poland has been established by Magdalena and Bogdan Wszołek since 1998. Within 25 years, two optical telescope dishes were built, a 9-metre radio telescope was mounted and an American satellite earth station was brought to the observatory. In 2010, instruments transferred from the Satellite Centre in Psary and the Satellite Regional Operations Centre in Komorow were installed. The European Space Agency and the Polish Space Agency have installed their measurement equipment at the observatory.