The first Polish satellites will be launched into orbit in November, announced Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Thursday during the inauguration of the Satellite Mission Control Center at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw.
– Today's opening and launch of the Satellite Mission Control Centre is one of the key moments in gaining the ability to observe, influence and, above all, ensure security – said the Minister of National Defence.
We have four programs: GLOB, mikroGLOB, mikroSAR, and the PIAST program. Each is designed to launch satellites of various sizes and purposes into orbit,” he said. He announced that the first Polish satellites will be launched in November of this year.
The Minister also recalled the agreement signed in May this year by the Armaments Agency with a consortium consisting of ICEYE and Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 1 SA for the purchase of three monochromatic satellites, which – as he said – allow for imaging regardless of the time of day.
With the inauguration of the Satellite Mission Control Centre, the Military University of Technology has become the only institution in Poland with the infrastructure and competences necessary to independently conduct satellite operations and train future satellite system operators.
” We are building a team that will respond to the needs of a changing world. We must stay ahead of the curve, not follow it, ” emphasized the Minister of National Defense.
As he said, “we have to be ahead of others, because then we will build a secure Poland.” “This cannot be done by looking at the Polish army, the Polish Army, only through the prism of great, positive historical experiences. Heavy equipment, tanks, airplanes – all of this is very necessary, but we are well aware that Poland's secure future lies in modern technologies: in cyberspace, in space, in artificial intelligence, and in drones,” Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized.
He emphasized that Poland needs to catch up in this area. “And we are doing it; we will be leaders,” declared the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense.
The WAT Ground Segment will be used for the operational management of the PIAST project satellites, which is co-financed by the National Centre for Research and Development under the SZAFIR program initiated by the Ministry of National Defense.
The PIAST (Polish ImAging SaTellites) project aims to build a constellation of three optoelectronic imaging reconnaissance nanosatellites based on Creotech Instruments' proprietary HyperSat platform. It aims to provide the first Polish-made instruments for a national Earth observation satellite system for the Polish Armed Forces. (PAP)
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