At the end of June, the Geospatial Intelligence and Satellite Services Agency will be established. In May, a satellite corps was formed in the Polish army. These are the latest initiatives in recent months aimed at increasing Poland’s use of space technologies, particularly satellite technologies, in the field of defense and security. Ultimately, our country aims to have its own satellites that will provide data for defense and crisis management. However, the precision of satellite data not only enhances defensive capabilities but also enables rapid response to climate disasters.
“The armed forces have been using space data, products, and services for many years. They have been clients of commercial entities and have been utilizing resources provided by allied countries to use the resources we have effectively. Now we are also striving to build our own capabilities to ensure some independence within this system, while acknowledging that we cannot do everything alone and that some capabilities will be acquired through partnerships with other public or commercial entities and foreign partners,” says Anna Walkowiak, Acting Head of the Space Technology Department at the Ministry of National Defense, in an interview with Newseria Innowacje.
Recent months have seen a surge in investments and initiatives to strengthen the country’s defense using space technologies. In a speech to the Sejm in May, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the formation of a satellite corps in the Polish Army in May and the establishment of the Geospatial Intelligence and Satellite Services Agency at the end of June. A Satellite Operations Center will operate alongside it, expected to reach full readiness this year.
In May, the European Investment Bank also announced support for the Polish satellite program with a sum of 300 million euros. The program, carried out in cooperation with France, involves the creation of satellite systems and reconnaissance systems. This relates to a contract signed at the end of December for the supply of two imaging reconnaissance satellites from Airbus Defence and Space.
“We also have the MikroGlob project, which we are implementing under the KPO, aimed at the Polish industry, and in the future, the MicroSAR project, which involves acquiring a constellation of radar satellites,” says Anna Walkowiak.
According to the Ministry of National Defense data, the launch of the MikroGlob satellites is planned for 2026, while the acquisition of radar systems under the MicroSAR program is expected next year.
“The Ministry of National Defense is involved, at least partially, in the implementation of the Polish Space Strategy. Goal 3 is particularly important to us, which includes an indicator related to the Earth observation system, and what we are doing with the MikroGlob project fits into this goal. We will strive to begin acquiring this system shortly,” the MON expert indicates.
Under Goal 3 of the Polish Space Strategy, two indicators are set: the launch of the strategic program “Satellite System for Optoelectronic Earth Observation” and the development of the concept for the future SSA/SST system architecture. According to the PSK evaluation prepared by POLSA in February this year, significant milestones were achieved last year towards creating and achieving operational status for the first indicator. It will be implemented in two ways through the national constellation of Poland’s first Earth observation satellites under the Camilla project and the construction and implementation of the National Satellite Information System (NSIS), with its pilot version launched by the Polish Space Agency last year. The evaluation highlights that under the Camilla project, Poland will gain access to high-resolution Earth observation data, and Polish companies will acquire knowledge in satellite systems production and integration. The plan includes building at least four satellites (three optoelectronic and one radar), with systems operational in 2027. The construction cost is 85 million euros.
“Space technologies and satellite techniques have supported the armed forces and security and defense tasks for many years. They allow us to monitor what is happening on Earth, provide satellite communication beyond line of sight, especially where units are dispersed. Satellite communication is the best solution in such cases,” says Anna Walkowiak. “Additionally, we have positioning issues—GPS or Galileo allows us to determine where units are, how they move, what the best route is, and also precise time determination to synchronize our systems. Earth observation allows us to see what is happening just across the border without crossing it and to respond to crisis management needs.”
