On 5-15 of April this year, the Polish Space Agency, together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Buenos Aires and the Foreign Trade Office in Santiago de Chile of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, organized a commercial mission of the Polish space sector to Argentina and Chile. The main goal of the mission is to establish relations and provide opportunities for technological and commercial exchange between companies from Poland, Argentina and Chile, as well as to promote Polish space potential at international events.

As a part of the mission, representatives of the Polish space sector will participate in the FIDAE International Air and Space Fair in Santiago de Chile, on April 5-10. It is the foremost aerospace, defense and security exhibition of Latin America. Due to its long and successful career, today is globally recognized as the leading event in the region.

The previous edition of FIDAE in 2020 was attended by 187 official delegations and 411 exhibitors from 46 countries.

During the visit to Chile, a meeting with representatives of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is also planned. ESO is the leading intergovernmental astronomical organisation in Europe and the most efficient astronomical observatory in the world. ESO provides astronomers with state-of-the-art research facilities.

ESO’s Headquarters are located in Garching, close to Munich in Germany and includes the scientific, technical and administrative centres of the organisation. ESO also operates in Santiago and at three unique observation sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor.  In addition, ESO is building “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”—ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, located on Cerro Armazones, which will be operated as part of the Paranal Observatory.

Industry Day Argentina

On 10-15 April this year, a delegation of the Polish space sector will be in Argentina. On April 12 this year, Polish Space Day will take place at the Embassy in Buenos Aires. Cooperation between companies has a huge development potential, opening up new opportunities for cooperation for both of them.

The meeting will be attended by the Ambassador of Poland in Argentina Aleksandra Piątkowska, Grzegorz Wrochna, President of the Polish Space Agency, Dariusz Latoszek, chief specialist from the Department of Trade and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Development and Technology, and representatives of Argentine government institutions: Argentinian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, National Commission for Space Activity (CONAE) of the Republic of Argentina as well as representatives of the Polish space sector, m.in. Creotech Instruments SA, Satrevolution, CloudFerro.

As part of the meeting, the activities of the Argentinian Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR) at the National University of La Plata will be presented. Short presentations of their activities will also be presented by Polish companies participating in the mission.

A representative of the PAIH Foreign Trade Office in Buenos Aires will talk about the practical and cultural aspects of doing business in Argentina for entrepreneurs who plan to start cooperation with Argentina.

Memorandum of Understanding between CONAE and POLSA

On 13 April this year in Buenos Aires, it is planned to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between CONAE and POLSA, regulating the initial terms of cooperation between the Polish and Argentinian space sectors.

COANE (National Commission on Space Activity of Argentina, Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales) was established in 1991. It is responsible for Argentina’s civilian space program. This program is mostly focused on Earth observation, exploration, and technological development.

CONAE has so far sent four of its own SAC satellites into orbit (the remaining Argentine satellites put into orbit belonged to research units or private companies). Argentina belongs to a narrow group of countries that can not only develop their own technologies in the satellite industry, but also design and produce telecommunications satellites. This is one of the important advanced technologies for which Argentine industry is appreciated in the world.

CONAE recently approved a preliminary version of the new National Space Plan, which will run until 2027. In 2018, Argentina has allocated about USD 110 million for the development of the space sector. However, due to the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, these funds have been significantly reduced – to USD 45 million in 2020.

Ukrainian Space Sector:

As part of the cooperation between State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) and POLSA, materials of  SSAU and its subsidiaries will also be available at the Polish stand at the FIDAE exhibition. Employees of the Ukrainian Embassy in Santiago de Chile will be present at the stand of the Polish space sector.

The mission schedule also includes a visit to the Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR) at the University of La Plata, including familiarization with the IAR infrastructure. The POLSA delegation will meet with the Director for International Cooperation of the Agency for Economic Development La Plata (Agencia Platense de Desarrollo Económico).