His participation in the mission stemmed from an agreement between Poland's Ministry of Development and Technology and the European Space Agency (ESA), with support from the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).
During the 20-day mission, he carried out 13 scientific experiments spanning a range of disciplines as part of Poland's Ignis science and technology project.
A year later, officials, scientists and industry professionals gathered at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) to review the mission's results and its impact on Poland's space sector.
'We now have our address in space'
"The ecosystem in Poland that we have today is something completely different from what we had a couple of years ago," Uznański-Wiśniewski told Danuta Isler on the sidelines of the conference on Thursday.
Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (center) speaks during a conference at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Photo: Danuta Isler/Polish Radio
"We now have our address in space aboard the International Space Station," he said. "We understand how critical the development of space technologies is for Poland and for the future of the Polish economy. I also think the mission has had a tremendous impact on education, academia and public awareness."
Photo: Danuta Isler/Polish Radio
Around 500 people were directly involved in preparing the Ignis project, according to Dr. Aleksandra Bukała, its manager.
"But if we include people from SpaceX, Axiom Space, as well as teams from India and Hungary who worked on the Polish experiments conducted in space, the number may be close to 1,000," she said.
Poland's participation in the mission—including its ESA contribution and Uznański-Wiśniewski's flight to the ISS—cost nearly PLN 290 million (around EUR 68 million, USD 77 million).
"Thanks to that mission, Poland has significantly increased its contribution to the European Space Agency," said Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna, now with Creotech Instruments, who headed the Polish Space Agency at the time of the mission.
"Last year, Poland pledged EUR 700 million, giving us a strong position within ESA," he said.
Nearly half a century before Uznański-Wiśniewski's flight, Mirosław Hermaszewski became the first Pole in space when he flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz mission in 1978.
(di/gs)
Click on the audio player above to listen