Waldemar Buda confirmed the project in an interview with state news agency PAP.
The minister said: “It is now certain and guaranteed that the second Polish astronaut in history will take part in a space mission to orbit. It’s an amazing story that is developing before our eyes.”
Buda added: “We have a candidate, but his participation in the mission must still be approved by the European Space Agency (ESA) and our American partners.”
On August 4, Buda signed an agreement on behalf of Poland with the ESA and American space company Axiom Space on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), according to officials.
In a video posted on the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday, Buda said: “Our candidate [for the space mission] is Sławosz Uznański.”
He described the partnership with the ESA and Axiom Space as “an important step in the development of the Polish space industry and Polish science.”
During the mission at the ISS, the Polish astronaut will "test Poland’s cutting-edge technology," Buda said.
He added that the project would offer domestic firms “an opportunity to gain unique experience that will confirm the high quality of Polish products,” the PAP news agency reported.
The Polish astronaut is also expected to conduct video lessons from the low-Earth orbit for thousands of students in Poland, according to officials.
The first-ever Pole in space was the late Mirosław Hermaszewski, who took part in an eight-day Soviet space mission in 1978.
The Ministry of Development and Technology noted that Poland this year increased its financial contribution to the ESA by EUR 295 million.
“This will enable Polish companies to take part in many programmes designed to develop technology, products and services in the field of satellite communications, navigation and Earth observation,” officials said.
“It’s a big chance for the Polish space sector, which is at a watershed moment,” they added.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, POLSA, space24.pl