English Section

Polish space agency teams up with US firm on satellite tech

17.03.2022 08:45
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and US-based space company Virgin Orbit have signed a letter of intent to work together on technology to launch objects into space through a rocket attached to a carrier aircraft, officials have said.
The CEO of the Polish Space Agency, Grzegorz Wrochna.
The CEO of the Polish Space Agency, Grzegorz Wrochna. PAP/Marcin Obara

The document was signed in Los Angeles on Wednesday in the presence of Polish Development and Technology Minister Piotr Nowak, the state PAP news agency reported.

According to Nowak, the agreement “marks another phase as Poland builds a sovereign satellite system, which is particularly important in the current geopolitical situation.”

“The development of new technologies, including navigation, Earth imaging or telecommunications, is irreplaceable in ensuring the security of the state and solving crisis situations,” Nowak was quoted as saying.

Under the letter of intent, POLSA is expected to review the usefulness of LauncherOne technology for the Polish economy and science, with a view to potential cooperation with Virgin Orbit on launching satellites from Polish territory, the agency said. 

POLSA will prepare a roadmap on how to maximise the positive impact of the team-up on Poland's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sector, the PAP news agency reported.

For its part, Virgin Orbit declared it was ready to deliver "a tailor-made solution to suit the needs and requirements of the Polish side, which include ground-based support and the supply of a special carrier aircraft," POLSA said in a statement.

According to the agency’s CEO Grzegorz Wrochna, the agreement demonstrates that “Poland can be an attractive partner for global players such as Virgin Orbit,” PAP reported.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, polsa.gov.pl