The Polish Space Agency POLSA has signed a letter of intent with Virgin Orbit regarding the development of a satellite system, the Agency said. The letter assumes that POLSA will conduct an analysis of the usefulness of the LauncherOne technology for the needs of, inter alia, Polish science and economy, in the context of the possible choice of Virgin Orbit as a partner in future projects involving the launches of such facilities in our country.
“Today’s event is the next stage in building a sovereign satellite system by Poland. It is particularly important in the current geopolitical situation. The development of new technologies, including navigation, Earth imaging and telecommunications, are indispensable, among others, in ensuring national security and solving crisis situations,” said Piotr Nowak, the Minister of Development and Technology.
“The interest and specific declarations made show that Poland can be an attractive partner for global players, including Virgin Orbit. It is even more important to build the position of our space sector in the increasingly competitive segment of the international space market, which is upstream. Thanks to LauncherOne technology, Poland will also be able to provide orbital launch services for other countries in the region, in particular in the Three Seas region,” said the president of the Polish Space Agency, Grzegorz Wrochna.
Poland is entering the game as a potential user of LauncherOne, a technology to carry objects into space using a rocket attached to a specially adapted plane. Polsa will analyze the possibility of taking off from the territory of Poland, it was announced.
Virgin Orbit has declared its readiness to provide a solution profiled to meet the needs and requirements specified by Polsa, including ground support and an appropriate aircraft.
“Today’s agreement is an important step towards ensuring Poland and its neighbors access to space, serving Polish industry, science and security. Poland’s visionary approach is an inspiration at this critical moment for Europe and we are honored to support and cooperate with the Polish space sector,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart.
According to POLSA, LauncherOne is a system consisting of a specially adapted plane, the so-called “Carrier” (a Boeing 747-class jet) and a rocket launched from its deck at an altitude of about 10-11 km, capable of placing a payload of a total mass of up to 300 kg in low Earth orbit. The first successful launch of LauncherOne was carried out on January 17, 2021. Less than 12 months later, during the third successful commercial mission using the described system, two of the seven small satellites launched were made by the Polish company SatRevolution.
Virgin Orbit supports one of the most flexible and responsive space systems ever built.
POLSA – the MRiT executive agency – was established in 2014 to support the Polish space industry by implementing the priorities of the Polish Space Strategy. POLSA cooperates with international agencies and state administration in the field of space research and use. Responsible for the promotion of the Polish space sector in the country and abroad, conducts activities related to information and education on the use of satellite technologies (including navigation, observation and communication) in the economy, administration and in everyday life.
Source: POLSA and ISBnews
