Polish Space Agency (POLSA) is in the process of developing a mission to space, according to the Agency’s President, Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna. The country’s space sector has extensive experience in building research instruments that have already been sent on over 80 missions to various bodies in the Solar System. After several months of consultations, a mission concept has been developed, and prototype devices are currently being tested.
Wrochna believes that the time has come for Poland to build its own space mission by harnessing the expertise of its institutes, universities, and commercial firms. Scientists and engineers were asked how they envisioned an exploratory mission, and the response was enthusiastic. Most proposals centered on the Moon, which is Poland’s closest neighbor and currently of great interest globally. Several countries are preparing for 50 missions to the Moon by the end of the decade.
The proposed Polish mission would involve a probe orbiting the Moon, scanning its surface with an infrared beam and searching for raw materials that could be used to build bases on the Moon in the future. “This is a market predicted to be worth not just millions, but billions of dollars in the future, which is why the Polish industry is interested in it as a business for the distant future,” Wrochna explained.
The project is still in the advanced stages, and a successful launch could put Poland on the global space exploration map.