Poland is taking another breakthrough step in building its own satellite capabilities - the first Polish satellites intended for military and civilian applications are to be on board the Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX. The payload included in the Transporter-15 mission includes the ICEYE radar satellite, three nanosatellites from the PIAST constellation and a small satellite from SatRev, designed for multispectral and observational tasks.

The original plans assumed the launch on November 11, later the date was changed to November 22, and then November 19 and 20. In the end, the start was supposed to take place at 19:28, on November 26. However, on the day of the scheduled flight, SpaceX announced that it was abandoning the launch attempt and would again target the launch window on November 28; At the same time, the company assured that the rocket and the payload remain in good condition.

The significance of this operation for Polish goes far beyond a one-time technical act. ICEYE, using SAR (synthetic aperture) technology, enables imaging of the Earth regardless of cloudiness and time of day - a key feature from the point of view of monitoring strategic infrastructure, borders or crisis operations, also in conditions of limited visibility. PIAST nanosatellites, equipped with optoelectronic sensors, are to complement radar observations, providing images in the visible and near-infrared bands, important for both uniformed services, civil administration and the agricultural sector. The SatRev satellite, in turn, is to strengthen its capabilities in the area of environmental and infrastructure monitoring.

For the Polish administration and the space industry, this project is proof of the growing maturity of the sector: from the development of platforms and instruments, through the construction of the ground infrastructure of control agencies, to integration and preparation for operational data exploitation. The agreements and cooperation that led to the creation of the satellites also provide for the possibility of expanding the fleet and developing ground stations, which in the long term may increase the degree of sovereignty of Polish in terms of access to satellite data.

The success of the mission - i.e. safe launch into orbit, establishing communications, calibrating instruments and transferring data for operational use - will open up new opportunities for Poland: faster response in crisis situations, independent support for strategic reconnaissance, better support for rescue operations, and the development of commercial and research services based on local data. Even in the case of postponements or technical difficulties that accompany complicated space launches, reaching this stage will be an important step towards building a permanent, national Earth observation system.

The moment when Poland begins to have its own "eyes" in orbit has both a practical and a strategic dimension: it is not only access to photos and measurements. This gives you greater independence in decision-making in the area of security and crisis management. If the planned launch attempts on November 28 are successful, the coming weeks will be a time of intensive tests and commissioning of systems - and for the Polish space sector, it is an announcement of further, long-term investments and projects.

Photo: ICEYE

This article was prepared as part of the public task commissioned under the Government Programme for the Development of Civic Organizations 2018–2030: “Safe Poland of Tomorrow – strengthening the mission-driven activities of the Alioth Foundation.”