Polish flight to the International Space Station (ISS) is now confirmed. Our astronaut will test technologies from domestic companies, conduct experiments, and implement an educational program dedicated to students.

This is the result of an agreement signed between the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the European Space Agency (ESA). The agreement was negotiated for several months in close cooperation with the Polish Space Agency (POLSA). The Polish astronaut will be transported to the ISS by Axiom Space – an American company that provides services to the Space Station on behalf of NASA. The agreement was signed by ESA and Axiom Space on August 4th of this year.

In collaboration with Axiom Space, ESA will manage all aspects required for mission preparation and completion, including access to training facilities and instructors, equipment and safety certification, on-orbit management, and post-mission support. The Polish astronaut selected for the mission will focus on technological experiments.

Since Friday, August 4th 2023, a call for experiment concepts on the ISS has also been open. Companies and scientific institutions can submit proposals until September 8th of this year. The selected projects will be chosen and evaluated by ESA in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and POLSA, and they will likely be conducted on the ISS in 2024 or 2025.

“This collaboration demonstrates the good relationships among all parties and is a testament to the confidence in the competence of Polish institutions responsible for space policy. The signed agreements guarantee that Polish scientists and engineers will gain access to this vast space laboratory, offering conditions that are impossible to achieve on Earth. I am convinced that the selected experiments will have a high potential for long-term benefits, as they will enable the development of technologies useful not only in the space sector. The modern economy cannot do without space anymore,” emphasizes Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna, President of POLSA.